The Kwara State Police Command has unveiled a gruesome case involving the murder of a promising student from the College of Health and Technology in Offa. Six suspects have been paraded, including Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo Adeniyi, the parents of the primary suspect, Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who is accused of luring the victim to her death.
The police revealed that the couple was apprehended after attempting to tamper with evidence by retrieving their son’s belongings from his school. During a press briefing, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, detailed the disturbing circumstances surrounding the murder of Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduating student.
On August 13, 2024, police received a report from Ogungbenro Blessing, a resident of Offa, who reported that her roommate, Mojisola, 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,” Olaiya stated.
The investigation revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had invited Mojisola to a supposed sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel in Ilorin, promising her N15,000. However, upon her arrival, Mojisola expressed concern to her friends, stating that there appeared to be no party. “Instead, she reported being alone in a hotel room with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was reportedly smoking cannabis,” the Commissioner noted.
Following her disappearance, police quickly apprehended Adebayo Joshua Happiness. Preliminary findings indicated that he had lured Mojisola under false pretenses, booking a hotel room 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,” Olaiya explained.
Tragically, in the early hours of August 10, 2024, Mojisola was brutally murdered. “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,” Olaiya added.
The investigation led to the arrest of Mr. and Mrs. Adeniyi for attempting to destroy evidence. “Following their son’s arrest, they attempted to tamper with evidence by retrieving Adebayo Joshua Happiness’s belongings from his school,” he said. Notably, Mrs. Adeniyi had removed the SIM card from the deceased’s iPhone and concealed it nearby.
Contradicting Adebayo Joshua Happiness’s initial claims of discarding the phone in the Afelele River, both the iPhone and SIM card were recovered from his parents’ possession. Additionally, hotel staff involved in the case were found to have unlawfully disposed of Mojisola’s body at a refuse dump.
The suspects are now facing charges of criminal conspiracy and tampering with evidence, while the investigation continues. “Upon completion of the investigation, the suspects will be duly charged to court to face the full extent of the law,” Olaiya asserted.
The Kwara State Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring justice and maintaining peace within the community. “Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” the Commissioner concluded.
