One year after the tragic killing of 300-level student Christiana Idowu, her father has appealed to Nigerians for help, lamenting the slow pace of justice in the case against the alleged killer, 23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye.
Christiana, a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), was abducted in August 2024 while travelling from her home in Itaoluwo, Ikorodu, to the University of Lagos, where she was undergoing industrial training.
Adeleye, a philosophy student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, was later arrested after confessing to luring Christiana to his home under the guise of fixing her phone, before strangling her. He admitted to killing her due to “financial problems” and extorted ₦360,000 from her mother while pretending she was still alive.
Investigators traced him after he uploaded his National Identification Number on his SportyBet account.
Speaking in an emotional video on Sunday, Christiana’s father, Idowu Oluwafemi, said he had been left in the dark about the case despite the arrest.
“It’s getting to a year now and I’ve not heard anything concerning the case. My daughter was brilliant, and I can’t just allow her to go like that. Nigerians, please come to my aid,” he pleaded.
He expressed fears that the suspect might have been released and begged the public to support his call for justice.
In response, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, assured that Adeleye remained in custody. He referred to a January 2025 statement by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirming the suspect’s continued detention at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos.
The NCoS had clarified that Adeleye, with Custody Number S-1995/24, was remanded for kidnapping and murder by Magistrate Court 13A, Ogba, in September 2024, and remained in custody pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The Service also dismissed earlier reports suggesting Adeleye was not in prison, blaming the confusion on another inmate with a similar name.
Meanwhile, Christiana’s grieving family continues to demand justice, insisting that her memory must not be forgotten.
