Police Arrest Landlord, Accomplices Over Killing of Missing AAUA Students in Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested multiple suspects in connection with the abduction, rape, and murder of two students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), whose disappearance had caused widespread alarm.

The victims — 25-year-old Abah John Friday and 19-year-old Okah Andrel Eloho — were declared missing on June 20, 2025. Their disappearance prompted a detailed investigation that ultimately led to a chilling discovery.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, said the arrests were made through a coordinated operation involving forensic tracking and collaboration with local communities.

According to Lawal, a breakthrough came when investigators traced one of the victims’ phones to Ikeja, Lagos. The phone, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, was recovered from a man named Abdul Mohammed Mubarak, who admitted he purchased it from another suspect, Ojo Michael. Michael was later apprehended in Aramoko-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

A Lexus RX 350 belonging to the victims was also recovered. Under questioning, Michael confessed to being involved in the robbery, kidnapping, and killing of the students. He disclosed that the landlord of the male victim, Oladele Femi, orchestrated the crime and contracted him and another accomplice, identified as “Kola” (still at large), to execute it.

The police revealed that N800,000 was withdrawn from one of the victims’ accounts during their captivity. Michael also confessed to raping the female victim and killing both students to prevent them from revealing his identity. Their bodies were dumped in separate locations around Agbado and Ode-Ekiti.

Lawal confirmed that the decomposing remains of Okah Andrel Eloho were recovered and taken to a mortuary in Ode-Ekiti. Search efforts are ongoing to retrieve the body of Abah John Friday, believed to have been dumped in a river by the fleeing accomplice.

Describing the incident as a “tragedy born of betrayal and greed,” the Commissioner assured the public that all responsible parties would be brought to justice. “These young undergraduates were full of promise and hope. Their lives were cruelly cut short in the most brutal fashion,” he said.

In response to the incident, the AAUA Students’ Union has demanded urgent improvements to campus and community security. In a statement signed by its President, Akeem Salami, and Secretary, Bakare Abiodun, the union called for:

• Redeployment of competent security personnel to Akungba

• Replacement of non-functional patrol vehicles

• A joint campus security conference

• Establishment of a Police-Student Relations Committee

“We remain committed to ensuring a safer and more secure academic environment for every student,” the statement read. “Our community deserves better.”