Crime

Ondo Landlord, Two Others Arrested Over Kidnapping and Murder of University Students

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on July 18th, 2025.

Ondo Landlord, Two Others Arrested Over Kidnapping and Murder of University Students

AAUA Gate

Police in Ondo State have arrested a landlord and two other individuals in connection with the abduction and killing of two students from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adebowale Lawal, disclosed the arrest during a press briefing in Akure, the state capital, stating that the suspects were apprehended following a thorough investigation by the command’s anti-kidnapping unit.

The victims, 25-year-old Abah John Friday and his 19-year-old female companion, Okah Andrel Eloho, were reported missing on June 20, 2025. Their disappearance triggered alarm and prompted swift action from law enforcement officials.

A petition filed on June 24, 2025, by the law firm G.O. Omoedu & Co. on behalf of Mr. Emmanuel Peter of Shagari Village, Akure, brought the matter to the attention of the police. Peter reported that his younger brother, Friday, and his friend Eloho had gone missing under suspicious circumstances.

According to CP Lawal, forensic tracking led investigators to Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, where an iPhone 14 Pro Max belonging to Friday was recovered from 38-year-old Abdul Mohammed Mubarak. Mubarak admitted buying the phone from Ojo Michael, who was later arrested in Aramoko-Ekiti. A Lexus RX 350 linked to the victims was also found in his possession.

Under interrogation, Michael reportedly confessed to being involved in the robbery, kidnapping, and eventual murder of the two students. He claimed the operation was masterminded by Oladele Femi—the landlord of the male victim—who allegedly recruited Michael and another accomplice, identified only as “Kola,” who remains at large.

Further investigations revealed that N800,000 had been withdrawn from Friday’s account during their captivity. Michael also admitted to sexually assaulting the female victim after she recognized him, which ultimately led to the decision to kill both her and Friday to eliminate any witnesses.

Their bodies were dumped in separate locations between Agbado and Ode-Ekiti in Ekiti State. Acting on the suspects’ confessions, police recovered Eloho’s body from a bush near Ode-Ekiti, while the search continues for Friday’s remains, believed to have been discarded in a river.

The Commissioner described the incident as a heart-wrenching case of betrayal, stressing the brutal nature of the crime and the calculated efforts to cover it up. He assured the public that the suspects would face the full weight of the law and emphasized that efforts to capture the remaining suspect are ongoing.

“This tragic incident underscores the cruel reality of premeditated violence and the severe impact of criminal conspiracy,” Lawal said, pledging the command’s unwavering commitment to securing justice for the victims

and their families.