By Gbenga Odogun
The Kogi State Police Command has paraded four suspects linked to the death of Damilola Olowoyo, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University, Lokoja.
The suspects, Jeremiah Paul, Emmanuel Otitoju, Banabas Olugbenga, and Ajayi Ayomide, were presented at the police headquarters in Lokoja on Friday.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, the prime suspect, Jeremiah Paul, lured the victim into the bush and killed her for ritual purposes.
Aya explained that the police received a report about Damilola’s disappearance, which led the state Commissioner of Police to assign the case to the State Intelligence Department.
With the help of the technical unit at the Force Headquarters, the police were able to track and apprehend Jeremiah Paul.
“Jeremiah Paul confessed to luring Damilola on September 4, 2024, by pretending to be interested in her. He gave her a drink spiked with codeine, making her weak.
“He then took her to an uncompleted building where he strangled her to death and dismembered her body. Paul removed her eyes, lungs, liver, tongue, and part of her buttocks for ritual purposes,” Aya narrated.
Initially, Paul demanded a ransom from Damilola’s parents, collecting N400,000 before killing her.
Further investigations revealed that one of the other suspects had first approached Damilola but withdrew when he couldn’t meet the demands for the ritual.
Paul then stepped in, collaborating with his friend from Kaduna to commit the crime.
Aya cautioned students and parents to be vigilant, emphasising that many people in school environments might have ulterior motives.
“This case shows the extent some people will go, even a 20-year-old boy, to commit such inhuman acts. Students need to be cautious of who they associate with,” he warned.
He further assured the public that the police were intensifying efforts to rid the state of criminal elements, stating, “The eagle eyes of the police and other security agencies are on all criminals. We will ensure that Kogi State is not a safe haven for crime. The suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.”
Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Jeremiah Paul, 20, from Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, admitted to committing the murder.
In his confession, Paul said, “I came to Kogi State to hustle. I met Damilola last Sunday, and we started chatting. I already had it in mind to use her for ritual purposes.
“I mixed codeine with a drink and gave it to her. When she became weak, I took her to an uncompleted building, strangled her, and removed her organs. I handed the body parts to a driver sent by a native doctor in Ibadan.”
Paul’s accomplice, Olugbenga, revealed that they found the native doctor through TikTok and had travelled to Ibadan for a ritual soap.
My soap is for cleansing, and I was told not to go outside at night after using it. I wasn’t aware that Paul planned to kill Damilola,” he claimed.
Another suspect, Emmanuel Otitoju, a 24-year-old first-year student in the Sociology Department at Federal University Lokoja, denied involvement, saying, “I met Damilola, but when I found out she was 16, I told her I couldn’t date her. I wasn’t aware Jeremiah was planning to kill her.”
Ayomide, a 19-year-old third-year student of Microbiology at Federal University Lokoja, also denied involvement in the murder.
He explained that Olugbenga had asked to stay at his place before travelling to Ibadan.
“I didn’t know about the killing. They told me they received N400,000 and used the money to buy phones and food,” he said.
The command assured that the suspects would face prosecution once the investigation had been completed.
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