Police arrest son, parents, 4 others over murder of 21-year-old female student in Kwara
Dele Moses, Ilorin
Parents of Joshua Happiness Adebayo, the prime suspect in the alleged murder of Mojisola Awesu, a 21-year-old female student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, Mr Adebayo Adeniyi and Mrs Bukola Adeniyi have been arrested alongside their son.
The state police commissioner, Victor Olaiya, disclosed this when suspects arrested over the case were paraded at the headquarters of the state police command in Ilorin.
Four other suspects were arrested in connection with the incident and these include a female school mate of Awesu who linked her to Joshua Adebayo and three members of the staff of the hotel where Adebayo allegedly murdered the deceased.
Adebayo, who is described as an expelled final-year student of a university also in Offa town, was said to have invited Awesu to a party in Ilorin but only lodged her in the hotel where he allegedly murdered her.
The police commissioner explained that parents of Adebayo were arrested because they attempted to tamper with evidence that may be used to prove culpability of their son in the murder.
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He stated: “On August 13, 2024, at about 1500 hours, the Offa Police Station received a report from one Ogungbenro Blessing, a female resident of the Gbomi Area, Offa, Kwara State. She reported that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduating student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, had gone missing under suspicious circumstances.
“The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, at about 1500 hours, when Awesu Mojisola received a phone call from one Kolawola Timileyin, a female student from the same institution. Timileyin relayed a message from Adebayo Joshua Happiness, an expelled final-year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State. Adebayo Joshua Happiness invited Awesu Mojisola to attend a purported sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State, with a promise of Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15,000).
“Mojisola accepted the invitation and left Offa for llorin later that day. Upon arrival at Ilorin, Mojisola communicated with her friends via phone, expressing discomfort and concern as there appeared to be no sign-out party. Instead, she reported being alone in a hotel room with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was reportedly smoking cannabis. Subsequently, her phone became unreachable, and her whereabouts were unknown.
“Acting swiftly on the report, investigation by officers of the command led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Happiness. Preliminary findings revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola to Ilorin under false pretenses, booking a hotel room at around 1800 hours with no intention of hosting a party.
“Further investigation uncovered that at about 2345 hours on the same day, Adebayo Joshua Happiness booked an additional room at the same hotel for another female, possibly as a cover-up for his premeditated actions.
“In the early hours of August 10, 2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness brutally murdered Awesu Mojisola. He abandoned her lifeless body in the hotel room, secured the room, and fled with Mojisola’s iPhone and a sum of Fifteen Thousand Six Hundred Naira (N15,600) stolen from the deceased. He then returned to Offa and concealed the stolen phone in his hostel wardrobe. Through careful and discreet investigation, Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo Adeniyi, the suspect’s parents, were apprehended.
“Following their son’s arrest, they attempted to tamper with evidence by retrieving Adebayo Joshua Happiness’s belongings from his school. It was discovered that Mrs. Adeniyi Bukola had removed the SIM card from the deceased’s iPhone and concealed it within a wall some distance from their residence. Contrary to Adebayo Joshua Happiness’s initial claim that he had discarded the phone in Afelele River, Offa, both the iPhone and SIM card were recovered from his parents’ possession.
“After further investigation, it was discovered that the hotel staffs on duty found the deceased’s body in the room and unlawfully disposed off her body at the refuse dump.
“The suspects involved in this act have been apprehended and charged with criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence. Investigation remain ongoing, and all suspects are in custody. Upon completion of investigation, the suspects will be duly charged to court to face the full extent of the law.
“We Assure the public that the Kwara State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice and maintaining peace and security within the community. Further updates will be provided as investigation progresses.”