Among those arrested are popular prophet, Pastor Adebayo Adeniyi, more commonly called Prophet Ogunse, and his wife, the parents of the primary suspect, Adebayo Joshua Happiness.
The Kwara State Police Command has paraded six suspects allegedly involved in the killing of Ogungbenro Blessing, a female student of the College of Health and Technology in Offa.
Among those arrested are popular prophet, Pastor Adebayo Adeniyi, more commonly called Prophet Ogunse, and his wife, the parents of the primary suspect, Adebayo Joshua Happiness.
It was gathered that the couple was apprehended after attempting to tamper with evidence by retrieving their son’s belongings from his school.
Parading the suspects on Friday, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, disclosed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had invited Awesu Mojisola to attend a purported sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State, promising her N15,000.
The CP, while parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Ilorin, said that on August 13, 2024, at about 1500 hours, the Offa Police Station received a report from Ogungbenro Blessing, a female resident of the Gbomi Area in Offa, Kwara State.
He stated, "She reported that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduating student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, had gone missing under suspicious circumstances."
"The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, at about 1500 hours when Awesu Mojisola received a phone call from Kolawola Timileyin, a female student from the same institution."
He said Timileyin relayed a message from Adebayo Joshua Happiness, an expelled final-year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.
The suspects were identified as Adebayo Joshua Happiness (male), Adebayo Adeniyi (male), Adeniyi Bukola (female), Adeoye Adeola (male), Lawal Aminat (female), and Bulus Peter (male).
Items recovered include an iPhone 11 Pro.
Adebayo Joshua Happiness invited Awesu Mojisola to the sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State, with the promise of Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15,000). Mojisola accepted the invitation and left Offa for Ilorin later that day.
However, upon arrival in Ilorin, Mojisola contacted her friends, expressing discomfort and concern as there appeared to be no sign-out party.
According to the CP, "Instead, she reported being alone in a hotel room with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was reportedly smoking cannabis. Subsequently, her phone became unreachable, and her whereabouts were unknown."
Acting swiftly on the report, the investigation by officers of the command led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Happiness.
The police commissioner explained that preliminary findings revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola to Ilorin under false pretenses, booking a hotel room around 1800 hours with no intention of hosting a party.
"Further investigation uncovered that at about 2345 hours on the same day, Adebayo Joshua Happiness booked an additional room at the same hotel for another female, possibly as a cover-up for his premeditated actions."
"In the early hours of August 10, 2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness brutally murdered Awesu Mojisola."
According to Olaiya, "He abandoned her lifeless body in the hotel room, secured the room, and fled with Mojisola's iPhone and a sum of Fifteen Thousand Six Hundred Naira (N15,600) stolen from the deceased."
"He then returned to Offa and concealed the stolen phone in his hostel wardrobe."
Through careful and discreet investigation, Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo Adeniyi, the suspect's parents, were apprehended.
"Following their son's arrest, they attempted to tamper with evidence by retrieving Adebayo Joshua Happiness's belongings from his school.
"It was discovered that Mrs. Adeniyi Bukola had removed the SIM card from the deceased's iPhone and concealed it within a wall some distance from their residence."
Contrary to Adebayo Joshua Happiness's initial claim that he had discarded the phone in the Afelele River, Offa, both the iPhone and SIM card were recovered from his parents' possession.
"Further investigation revealed that hotel staff on duty found the deceased's body in the room and unlawfully disposed of her body at a refuse dump," he added.
"The suspects involved in this act have been apprehended and charged with criminal conspiracy and causing the disappearance of evidence."
He stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that all suspects are in custody.
"Upon completion of the investigation, the suspects will be duly charged to court to face the full extent of the law."
"We assure the public that the Kwara State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice and maintaining peace and security within the community."
"Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses," the CP added.