Landlord Masterminded Kidnap and Murder of Two Ondo Varsity Students, Says Police
In a chilling revelation that has shocked the academic and broader community in Ondo State, the Ondo State Police Command has uncovered a tragic case of betrayal and murder involving the landlord of a missing student. The Command has arrested three suspects in connection with the abduction and murder of two undergraduates of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA): 25-year-old Abah John Friday and his friend, 19-year-old Okah Andrel Eloho.
According to the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, the case came to light following a petition filed on June 24, 2025, by legal representatives of the family of one of the victims. In the petition submitted to the police by the law firm of G.O. Omoedu & Co. on behalf of Mr. Emmanuel Peter, elder brother of the male victim, it was reported that the two students went missing on June 20, 2025.
Both victims were last seen leaving their residence at Shagari Village, Akure, where Abah lived as a tenant under a certain Mr. Oladele Femi, who would later be identified as the mastermind behind their disappearance. The events that followed would reveal a deeply unsettling tale of premeditated crime, financial exploitation, and cold-blooded murder — orchestrated by a man the victims trusted as a landlord.
Upon receipt of the complaint, the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched an intensive investigation, applying a combination of forensic techniques and human intelligence. Their first breakthrough came via digital tracking. Investigators were able to trace the location of a missing iPhone 14 Pro Max belonging to one of the victims to Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a swift operation, the phone was recovered from a 38-year-old man identified as Abdul Mohammed Mubarak. Under questioning, Mubarak confessed that he had purchased the phone from one Ojo Michael, a resident of Aramoko-Ekiti in neighboring Ekiti State.
Further investigation led detectives to Aramoko-Ekiti where they arrested Michael and also recovered a Lexus RX 350 belonging to the missing students. It was then that the true magnitude of the crime began to unfold.
Michael, under interrogation, made a chilling confession. He admitted not only to participating in the robbery and abduction of the students but also confirmed their murder. According to his statement, the entire operation was planned and initiated by none other than Mr. Oladele Femi — the landlord of the male victim, Abah John Friday.
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The betrayal at the center of the crime has stunned the public. Mr. Femi, who was expected to protect and shelter his tenant, allegedly conspired with Michael and another accomplice still at large — one “Kola” — to abduct, rob, and ultimately eliminate the two students.
According to the confessions obtained, the female victim, Okah, was subjected to sexual assault before being murdered. The decision to kill both victims was reportedly taken after Okah unmasked the identity of one of her abductors, thereby posing a risk of exposure to the entire criminal ring.
The police commissioner revealed that the perpetrators transferred N800,000 from Mr. Abah’s account while in captivity, a transaction that forensic investigators were able to trace during the course of their probe.
Upon his arrest, Mr. Femi reportedly confessed to conceiving the plot, coordinating the abduction, and helping conceal evidence after the murders were committed. His confession corroborated the account provided by Michael and provided additional leads that helped in the recovery of one of the victim’s remains.
Following Femi’s confession, the police recovered the lifeless body of 19-year-old Okah Andrel Eloho from a bush near the Ode-Ekiti border community. Her corpse was immediately transported to the General Hospital Mortuary, where an autopsy is expected to be conducted.
The search for Abah John Friday, however, continues. According to Michael’s account, the male victim’s body was dumped in a river located in the Agbado-Ode-Ekiti axis. Divers and police search teams are working intensively to locate and retrieve the body.
Police say that the full recovery of both bodies is vital not only for investigative completeness but also to provide closure to the grieving families and facilitate prosecution of the culprits in court.
Speaking at the press briefing in Akure, CP Adebowale Lawal condemned the crime as a brutal reminder of the dangers posed by premeditated violence, betrayal, and greed. He described the victims as “young and promising undergraduates” whose lives were snuffed out in a senseless act of cruelty.
“This case has shocked our Command and the entire state. These were innocent students who fell prey to individuals they knew and trusted. The fact that one of the perpetrators was the landlord of one of the victims shows just how cruel and deceptive people can be,” CP Lawal said.
He added that the investigation is ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to arrest the third suspect, Kola, who remains at large. Lawal assured that justice would be served in the case and that all responsible parties would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“We are committed to ensuring that all those involved in this heinous act face the law. The third suspect, now on the run, will be tracked down and arrested. We are deploying every resource at our disposal to ensure this case is not only thoroughly investigated but also prosecuted diligently,” he assured.
The Adekunle Ajasin University community has been thrown into mourning since the news of the students’ deaths broke. Students held a candlelight procession on campus grounds late Wednesday evening to honor the memory of their fallen peers.
Speaking during the vigil, the President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Comrade Bamidele Ajayi, called on the university authorities and the Ondo State Government to step up security measures for students living off-campus.
“This case is devastating. We are talking about two of our own — murdered in cold blood. This is not just a crime against the victims; it’s a crime against the entire student body. We demand justice,” Ajayi said.
The university management also released a statement expressing its condolences to the families of the deceased students and commending the police for their swift investigation. The statement further called for vigilance among students and reiterated the university’s support for the ongoing police investigations.
Legal experts say the case will likely be charged as a capital offense, involving multiple counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, armed robbery, sexual assault, and unlawful disposal of human remains.
Human rights lawyer Barrister Kemi Adebayo, speaking to reporters in Akure, emphasized the importance of swift prosecution.
“This is one of the most heinous crimes we have seen in recent times. The evidence provided by the police is overwhelming. The fact that there was financial gain involved, coupled with sexual violence and premeditated murder, makes this a textbook case of capital felony. The perpetrators, if found guilty, must face the ultimate penalty under the law,” she said.
The Ondo State Ministry of Justice has reportedly indicated interest in taking over the prosecution once police investigations are concluded. A source within the ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that a legal team is being assembled to fast-track the court proceedings.
Beyond the university community, the larger public in Ondo and Ekiti states has responded with outrage and grief. Civil society organizations have staged small protests demanding stronger security frameworks and background checks for property owners renting houses to students.
Mrs. Titi Olagoke, coordinator of the Akure-based advocacy group “Justice for Youths,” described the crime as “a sad indictment of the moral decay and desperation for money in our society.”
“The fact that a landlord would mastermind the killing of his own tenant for money is terrifying. What this tells us is that we need to rethink safety in our residential communities — especially for students living away from home,” she said.
While the current case is particularly gruesome, observers warn that student abductions are becoming increasingly frequent in parts of the Southwest, particularly in university towns. According to data gathered by local NGOs, there have been at least five reported cases of student disappearances in Ondo and Ekiti states in the last 18 months — though not all ended fatally.
Security analysts have called on the government to set up student safety task forces and integrate community-based intelligence systems in areas with high student populations.
Mr. Tosin Alade, a security consultant and former DSS operative, advised schools to work with local landlords’ associations and community leaders to create a safety net for students.
“We need a protocol where landlords are profiled and vetted by local police. Students need to be able to verify who they are renting from. It should not be business as usual. This case is a wake-up call,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, police search teams are still combing the riverbed and surrounding bush areas around the Ekiti-Ondo border where the second victim’s body is believed to have been dumped. Meanwhile, pressure mounts on the police to arrest the third suspect and provide a comprehensive forensic timeline of the crime.
Though arrests have been made and one victim’s remains have been recovered, the pain and questions surrounding the brutal murders of Abah John Friday and Okah Andrel Eloho continue to hang heavy over Ondo State.
The tragedy has become a stark symbol of the unchecked cruelty of some elements in society and has triggered a larger conversation about student safety, trust, and the sanctity of human life in the face of greed and desperation.
As the legal process unfolds, Nigerians — especially families with children in tertiary institutions — will be watching closely, hoping for accountability, systemic change, and a justice that goes beyond the courts to the very heart of how communities must be made safer for the young and vulnerable.