The suspected killer of a 21-year-old graduate of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, Awesu Mojisola, Adebayo Happiness and four others were arraigned before an Ilorin Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Adebayo allegedly murdered Mojisola inside a hotel in Ilorin, Kwara State, on August 10, 2024, after luring her with N15,000 to attend a post-graduation party in Ilorin.
The murder suspect was charged alongside his parents, Adebayo Adeniyi (51) and Bukola Adeniyi (49), as well as an accomplice, Timileyin Kolawole(24).
The suspects were charged before the Court for alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, theft, false personation, and causing disappearance of evidence contrary to sections 97, 221, 287, 179 and 167 of the Penal Code Law and computer-related frauds contrary to sections
14(2) (3), 22 (2) (3) of Cybercrime prevention and prohibition Law 2015.
The police prosecutor, Isaac Yakub, told the court that on August 14, 2024, one Blessing Ogungbenro reported at Offa police station that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a graduating student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, had been missing since Friday, August 9, 2024. She told her that she received a phone call
from one Kolawole Timileyin’ joining her to one Adebayo Joshua Happiness, a final year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State, was requesting Mojisola to follow him to his sign-out party held at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, for a fee of N15,000.
“Awesu Mojisola later accepted the offer and left Offa to meet up with Adebayo Joshua Happiness at Ilorin lately, and while Awesu Mojisola was with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, she complained of being uncomfortable with Adebayo Joshua’s Happiness in the hotel room that
she was lodged because Adebayo Joshua Happiness was smoking hemp.
“After that, Awesu Mojisola’s phone suddenly became unreachable, and her whereabouts became unknown, adding that immediate police action led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was fingered in the sudden disappearance of Awesu Mojisola.”
He said further, “During investigation, it was revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola from Offa to Ilorin on the pretence of inviting her for a joint sign-out party of Summit and Al-Hikma Universities purported to be held at
Whitefield Hotel, but it was fake.
“In the early hours of 10/08/2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness killed and abandoned the
the lifeless body of Awesu Mojisola in the hotel room, locked the room, and ran away with Mojisola Awesu’s iPhone 11pro and her sum of N15,600 to Offa.
“ During the discreet investigation, Adebayo Joshua Happiness confessed that he invited Awesu Mojisola to Ilorin from Offa, deceiving her that there was a sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel Ilorin, killed her abandoned the lifeless body of Awesu Mojisola in the hotel room, locked it and flee away with her money and her iPhone to Offa.”
The prosecution further told the court that the prime suspect’s mother, Adeniyi Bukola, later assisted Happiness in removing the SIM card from the victim’s phone and hiding it in a fence block far away from their residence in the Ogunse area of Offa. In contrast, Happiness’s father assisted in keeping the iPhone in a family car parked within their compound.
The defense counsel, Mr A. Iwalaye, however, pleaded with the court to grant all the suspects bail, adding that they would not jump bail and would be regular in their appearance during court proceedings. They are ready to provide reliable sureties to stand for them in the court.”
But the prosecutor, ASP Isaac Yakub, opposed the plea, saying that the case was criminal and involved the termination of the life of a human being.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Wahab Saka, ordered the suspects to remand at the Federal Correctional Centre, Oke Kura, Ilorin, and adjourned the case until September 12, 2024, for further hearing.
