By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State Police Command on Friday paraded four suspects in connection with the murder of Miss Damilola Olowoyo, a 19-year-old 100-level student of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State.
The suspects, identified as Jeremiah Paul, Emmanuel Otitoju, Barnabas Olugbenga, and Ajayi Basit Ayomide, were paraded at the police headquarters in Lokoja.
According to Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP William Ovye Aya, the prime suspect, Jeremiah Paul, lured the victim into a bush and killed her for money ritual purposes.
Aya explained how Paul was arrested, saying, “There was a complaint to the Commissioner of Police regarding the disappearance of Damilola Olowoyo, a 100-level student in the Department of Biological Sciences at Federal University Lokoja. The Commissioner assigned the case to the State Intelligence Department. Officers began tracking the victim’s phone, which had gone unreachable, and with the assistance of the technical unit at Force Headquarters, Jeremiah Paul was apprehended in connection with the case.”
The suspect confessed that on September 4, 2024, he met Damilola, lured her to a bush, and murdered her for ritual purposes. Aya added, “Paul pretended to like her, and when she accepted his advances, he took her to an apartment. Before this, he gave her a drink laced with codeine, which weakened her. He then took her to an uncompleted building, strangled her to death, and dismembered her body, removing her eyes, lungs, liver, tongue, and part of her buttocks to use for rituals.”
Paul initially contacted Damilola’s parents, claiming to have kidnapped her, and demanded a ransom, which was paid. “He collected N400,000 from the parents before killing the girl,” Aya revealed.
Further investigation uncovered that one of the suspects had initially approached Damilola but withdrew when he couldn’t meet the ritual requirements. Jeremiah then stepped in, bringing a friend from Kaduna State to assist in the crime.
Aya warned students across various institutions to be cautious of those they associate with, noting that some individuals may pose as students but have ulterior motives. “This young girl lost her life because of greed. A 19-year-old with a promising future was cut down by criminals,” Aya stated.
He added, “We warn all criminals that the Kogi State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies and with public support, will not allow Kogi State to become a haven for criminal activities. Anyone involved in such acts will be prosecuted.”
The command plans to arraign the four suspects once investigations are concluded.
In his confession, Jeremiah Paul, 20, from Chikun Local Government in Kaduna State, admitted to committing the crime. He said, “I came to Kogi State to hustle. I met Damilola last Sunday, and we started chatting. I already planned to use her for rituals. I mixed codeine with Sprite and gave it to her. After she drank it, I took her to an uncompleted building, strangled her, and removed the body parts the native doctor told me to.”
Paul explained that the native doctor, whom he met on TikTok, had sent a driver to deliver a calabash and knife wrapped in black and red cloths. Paul used the knife to remove the body parts and sent them back to the native doctor in Ibadan. “Afterward, the driver sent my ritual soap back to Lokoja,” Paul added.
