Crime & Court
How my daughter was killed for ritual – Ex-Ondo deputy governor
Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, the bereaved father of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko final year student, Khadijah, who was allegedly murdered for ritual purpose, has resigned to fate over the death of his first child.
The deceased was murdered under mysterious circumstances by her Abuja-based boyfriend, Adeyemi Alao, in Oke-Aro area of Akure metropolis.
Oluboyo, who confirmed to journalists that her daughter was killed for ritual purpose on Monday, disclosed that the family discovered she was missing on Monday, July 2, 2018.
“Somebody called us that she was missing. We started looking for her. We got in touch with her friends in the school. The closest friend told us that they finished lecture on Thursday. They took the same motorcycle to their houses.
“On Friday, they had no lecture, when the friend got to the lecture room on Monday and did not see her, she started calling her numbers.”
The father, who is the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, revealed he sent “the money for her feeding on Friday, the usual thing is that when she got bank alert, she would call me back to thank me.
“But this day, I did not get a response from her. I told her mother and she started calling her. The phones were switched off. On Monday, we started calling her number and it did not get through. Later the phone rang, they picked it and we were hearing an underground sound.
“The phone switched off again. Later we got a text that the mouthpiece of the phone is not good and that she would call when she changed the sim card to another phone. With that, we thought that everything was settled. We were waiting anxiously for the call.”
He noted that Khadijah’s friend even contacted the family that she too had been calling her number to no avail, adding that “the same person sent a message to that her friend that she was on her way coming.”
Establishing the relationship between late Khadijat and Alao, the father said, “It was then I got to know that she came to Akure to meet that boy. From what the father told us, there is no doubt that they were once boy and girlfriend.
“They met each other at College of Education, Ondo. When we started looking for the girl, the father called me, he said he is the father of Adeyemi, he said my daughter came to their house on Thursday and left on Friday morning.
“He said she used to come in the past but stopped suddenly, that she was the type he wants his son to marry. I said we were not talking of marriage and that we were looking for her. The man called and started praying. When we called, the boy said she came on Thursday and left on Friday.”
While exposing the ruse kidnap scenario to cover up for her six days disappearance, the ex-Deputy Governor recounted that “my daughter had four numbers. She had two handsets, one with two sims, one with one sim.
“The old number she was using was kept in her bag. What happened was that when we tracked the first number, it went off immediately after Roadblock at Owo. The second number went off after Oba-Akoko.
“That gave us the impression that she was travelling and that she was going back to school. We got it on good authority that she came to Akure. That gave us belief that she was going back.
“When they sent a message that we should wait for negotiation team, we discovered it was one of the numbers in her bag that they used to send the message to us. It was a perfect arrangement to buy time.”
Revealing how the mysterious disappearance which led to the death of her daughter was unravelled, he narrated that “when we tried our best, we organized prayers. When we finished with the prayers, he got the hint and said he cannot continue.
“He rushed out and confessed to his immediate sister. He said this is what I did; I cannot cope, go and help me carry sack. The sister rushed to the father and narrated the story.”
Contrary to widespread speculations that Alao just dumped the decomposing body of the victim under his bed, Oluboyo affirmed that “the boy dug a grave in his room, buried her and put his foam on the grave and was sleeping on the grave. She was not found under the bed, the boy has no bed.
“The boy killed her for ritual purposes. It is not that the girl was not well-fed. The lady did not go there on her own volition. To me, I don’t want anything. God’s judgment is more than all the human’s verdict. The danger is that if you allow him to go scot-free, he would do it again.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned popular social media influencer and relationship therapist, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, widely known as Blessing CEO, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged N36m fraud linked to a property transaction.
Blessing CEO was docked before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, defence counsel, P. I. Nwafor, told the court that the defendant had refunded part of the money allegedly obtained from the complainant.
According to him, the influencer had refunded N24m out of the N36m involved in the matter and was making moves to settle the outstanding balance.
“We have an application to make. The defendant approached the nominal complainant and refunded N24m out of the N36m,” Nwafor said.
“We are asking for a short adjournment to resolve the outstanding balance. The nominal complainant agreed that if the balance is paid, they can prevail on the EFCC to drop the case.”
But prosecuting counsel, Suleiman I. Suleiman, opposed the request, insisting that the anti-graft agency was not part of any settlement discussion between the parties.
“The complainant here is the Federal Government of Nigeria, and we are here for the arraignment. We urge that the defendant take her plea, as that is the business of the day,” he said.
Ruling on the submission, Justice Dipeolu held that any discussion between the defendant and the nominal complainant would not stop the criminal proceedings.
“The defence and the nominal complainant can have discussions even during the pendency of the charge. It does not affect the proceedings before the court. The defendant will take her plea,” the judge ruled.
According to one of the charges, Blessing CEO allegedly obtained N36m from one Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye between July 14 and 17, 2024, under the guise of securing for her a six-bedroom detached duplex located at No. 1B, Tunbosun Osobu Street, off Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos.
The EFCC alleged that the representation was false and violated Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The second charge accused the defendant of fraudulently converting the said N36m, property of the complainant, to personal use, contrary to Sections 383 and 390 of the Criminal Code Act.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, the prosecution urged the court to remand her in a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
However, the defence counsel informed the court that the defendant had only been served with the charges on May 14, 2026, adding that efforts were ongoing to file her bail application.
He thereafter appealed to the court to allow the defendant remain in EFCC custody pending the perfection of her bail conditions.
Justice Dipeolu granted the request and ordered that Blessing CEO be remanded in EFCC custody.
The case was subsequently adjourned till June 5, 2026, for commencement of trial.
Crime & Court
Nursing Mother Bags 20 Years For Terrorism Support, Illegal Possession of 302 Rounds Of AK-47 Ammunition
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a woman, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and attempting to support acts of terrorism.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the sentence after the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts in a four-count charge filed against her by the Department of State Services.
The DSS had arrested the convict in Plateau State and subsequently arraigned her before the court on March 11.
The prosecution reviewed the facts relating to counts three and four, to which the defendant pleaded guilty, prompting the court to adjourn for judgment.
Delivering judgment, Justice Yilwa held that the defendant, by pleading guilty, admitted to the facts presented by the prosecution and failed to provide any defence against the allegations.
The defence counsel, Hamza Dantani, had urged the court to temper justice with mercy, describing the convict as a first-time offender who was remorseful.
He further told the court that the defendant is a nursing mother of a one-year-old child who was arrested alongside her.
According to him, the defendant did not waste the time of the court as she admitted to the offences during arraignment.
Counsel for the prosecution, Caliistus Eze, also informed the court that there was no record of previous conviction against the defendant.
Justice Yilwa thereafter sentenced Umar to 20 years’ imprisonment on count three and one year on count four.
The judge adjourned the matter till July 9 for the commencement of trial on counts one and two, to which the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Crime & Court
UNIBEN killing: Edo security squad arrests 12 suspected cultists, seals initiation centres
Security operatives in Edo State have arrested 12 suspected cultists and sealed two apartments allegedly used as initiation centres during coordinated raids across parts of Benin City following the killing of a young man near the gate of the University of Benin.
The operation, code-named “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers,” was carried out by the state’s Special Security Squad after the killing recorded on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele.
According to the statement, the Chief Security Officer and Principal Security Officer to the governor led the raids conducted in Ekosodin, Isihor, Old Road off S&T Barracks, Airport Road, 19th Street Ugbowo, Ogba-Evbuodia and Evbuomore Quarters, all in Benin City.
Spokesman for the security squad, Noah Idemudia, alleged that some youth leaders within communities in the state were aiding violent crimes and harbouring criminal elements.
He said intelligence reports indicated that sophisticated weapons used in deadly attacks were often traced to communities across the state.
“Reports reaching us indicate that some persons are allegedly harbouring criminals. Intelligence reports also suggest that sophisticated weapons used in deadly attacks on citizens are allegedly sourced from communities.
“The governor is warning community leaders to maintain peace in their various communities and ensure that no unlicensed weapons are found in their possession, as they will be held liable and treated as criminals,” Idemudia said.
He, however, clarified that the 12 suspects arrested were not directly linked to the killing near the university gate.
According to him, the suspects were allegedly identified as members of different cult groups after security operatives reportedly discovered symbols, signs and other incriminating materials on them during the raids.
Idemudia added that the suspects had been handed over to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Nigeria Police Force for profiling and further investigation.
Speaking on the properties sealed during the operation, he said one of the apartments was allegedly being used as a cult initiation centre.
He explained that operatives came under attack while attempting to arrest suspects at the location, forcing authorities to seal the premises and invite the property owner for questioning.
He added that another apartment raided allegedly contained shrines and fetish items scattered across several rooms, which investigators suspect were being used for initiation into different confraternities.
According to him, the owner of the property had also been invited for questioning by security agencies.
“The governor has warned those sponsoring cultism and violent killings in the state to desist immediately.
“Anyone found aiding criminality in Edo State will face the full weight of the law, as the state will no longer be conducive for criminal elements,” Idemudia added.
He also warned against unlawful gatherings, alleging that some cult groups were planning anniversary celebrations across the state.
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