Crime
Suspected ritualist, admits that he killed Kogi Varsity student for money ritual
Suspected ritualist Jeremiah Paul who gruesomely murdered 19-year-old Damilola Olowoyo, a 100-level student at the Federal University Lokoja, has admitted to have committed the crime.
In a gravely disturbing confessional statement, Paul disclosed that he lured Damilola to a secluded area, where he strangled her and harvested her organs, including her eyes, lungs, and liver, for use in a money ritual.
The 20-year-old suspect from Kaduna State, who was paraded alongside three other suspects, claimed to have been planning the ritual for some time and had targeted Damilola after meeting her just a week prior to the murder.
Paul’s confession revealed a calculated and premeditated crime, as he admitted to spiking Damilola’s drink with codeine and sprite before taking her to an uncompleted building, where he killed her and removed her organs.
The motive behind the gruesome murder was revealed to be a twisted desire for wealth and financial gain, with Paul believing that the ritual would bring him prosperity.
The case has sent shockwaves through the community, with many calling for justice and an end to such heinous crimes.
In his confessional statement, Jeremiah, who was paraded along with three other suspects, said “I came to Kogi State to hustle. I met Damilola last week Sunday and approached her in which she accepted. We started chatting. I already had it in mind that I want to use Damilola for ritual. I bought codeine and sprite and missed it up and gave it to her.
“I first drank it so that she won’t suspect it. When She drank it, I told her let us go to my house and she agreed. When she felt weak, I took her to an uncompleted building close to my place and strangled her to death. The cloth she was wearing, I used it to tie her leg, and neck. I later dragged her to a nearby bush and removed what the native doctor told me to remove.
“The native doctor who resides in Ibadan sent a driver and brought calabash and a knife. In the calabash, he used a black and white cotton to wrap the calabash and a red cloth to wrap the knife. It is the knife I used to remove part of her body, which is is the eyes, tongue, lungs, intestine and some part of her buttocks.
“I put it inside the calabash and wrapped it. I now gave it to the driver who he sent from Ibadan to Lokoja. So, the driver way bill it back to Ibadan. After that, he now way bill my soap back to LoKoja. I met the native doctor on tiktok and I copied his number and later message him on Whatsapp. I went with my friend to Ibadan to see the native doctor”.
The four suspects paraded are Jeremiah Paul, Emmanuel Otitoju, Barnabas Olugbenga and Ajayi Basit Ayomide.
Jeremiah’s alleged accomplice, Barnabas Olugbenga, who was also paraded by the Kogi State Police command narrated his own side of the story.
“We were in Kaduna and we saw one Ifa on tiktok then we took his number and chatted him up so that he can do soap for us. When my friend gathered the money, we don’t have money to lodge when we came to Lokoja. So, we decided to stay with a friend before we travel to Ibadan.
“When we traveled to Ibadan, we went and collect soap. My own soap is called soap for cleansing. Whenever I bath with my soap, am not allowed to come outside in the night, so that I won’t see any Woman or smoke. When I bath with the soap, I am hoping that I will get money within one week. I was not aware that Paul wanted killed Damilola”.
On his part, Emmanuel Otitoju, aged 24, who is a 100 level student in the department of sociology, Federal University Lokoja, denied his involvement in the crime.
According to him “When I met the deceased (Damilola), she told me that she had misunderstanding with her Boy friend which I told her to settle with him. The deceased told me she was 16 years and I responded that I can’t date her because of her age.
“I used to do hand work and am not a yahoo boy. Me and Jeremiah stays in the same compound and we are neighbors. I was not aware that he was planning to kill Damilola”.
Also speaking, another suspect, Ajayi Basit Ayomide aged 19 who is a 300 level student in the department of micro biology from the Federal University Lokoja narrated how he met the other suspects.
“I was in a game shop when Banabas called me that he is in Lokoja right now and is planning to travel to Ibadan. He told me that he will stay in my place for a while before he continues his journey. He brought his friend called Jeremiah that they are both traveling to Ibadan. They both stayed at my place for a while and they later travelled to Ibadan.
“They came back together and told me of their plans to travel to Kaduna but they don’t have money. They begged me to stay in my place for sometime pending when they have money to travel. Since then, I was the one feeding them. I have no knowledge in the kidnap or killing of Damilola. Before we were arrested, Jeremiah and his friend told me that they cash out N400,000. They used the money to buy phones and food,” he stated.
Narrating how the suspects were arrested, Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya said there was a complain to the Commissioner of Police about the disappearance of Damilola Orowoyo a 100 level student in the department Biological Science, Federal University Lokoja.
Parading the suspects at the Police headquarter in Lokoja on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya noted the prime suspect Jeremiah Paul lured the deceased to bush and killed her for money ritual.
“The Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to the State Intelligence Department (SID), Kogi Command, on 11/09/2024 at about 1615hrs arrested a 21 years old Jeremiah Paul Awe of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State who is responsible for the kidnapped and killing of 17 years old Damilola Abigail Oluwoyo, a 100 Level Student of Biology Department of Federal University Lokoja.
“This is consequence upon a complaint received on 6Th September, 2024 from one Stephen Oluwoyo that, his daughter Damilola was missing and that her GSM number could not be reached after her examination on 2nd September, 2024. He further stated that he received a message from an unknown GSM number that his daughter Damilola has been abducted and the abductor demanded for a ransom.
“The Operatives promptly swung into action through an actionable intelligence with the assistance of the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) from the Force Headquarters, trailed and arrested the suspect one Jeremiah Paul Awe on 11/09/2024 in Connection with the crime. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have kidnapped and killed the victim, Damilola on 4th September, 2024 at about 2030hrs. He further confessed that, he added a drug (codeine) into a drink and gave it to her to make her weak and lured her into a nearby bush close to his lodge at Felele area of Lokoja where he strangled her to death, mutilated her eyes, lung, liver, tongue, intestines, and fleshy parts of her buttocks and dumped the corpse in the bush.
“He further disclosed that, immediately he killed his victim, he placed a call to the father and demanded for a ransom to enable him meet up with the requirements for the rituals from the native doctor whom he met on TikTok. The father of the deceased sent the sum of N400,000 as ransom unknown to him that his daughter was already dead.
“On 11/09/2024, the suspect led the team of Operatives to the scene where the corpse of late Damilola was recovered, evacuated and deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja mortuary for autopsy.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of three other suspects: Barnabas Olugbenga 20 years old from Kaduna State; Ajani Basit Ayomide of Felele 20 years old; Emmanuel Otitoju 24 years, two of which are his friends who aided the crime,” Aya said.
He appealed to parents and students to be conscious of the kind of people they are moving with.
“You may be seeing somebody as human being but he is not.This act that Jeremiah Paul and his gang have carried out is an inhuman act. Imagine a 20 years old boy going this far in killing an innocent lady and removing her sensitive parts in the name of carrying our rituals.
“It shows that I the society we are living in people needs to be very careful. I am calling on students across the various institutions to be very careful with their friends, course mates and neighbors they are mingling with. Some people will be within the school environment but they are not students.
“Some may have admission and they are in school, but they have their own aim of being there. Students should be contented with what they have. Because of little thing, this girl lost her life. A 17 years old that has a future has been cut short by this criminals,” Aya counselled.
He warned that the case of Jeremiah and his cohort should be a signal to all the criminals in Kogi State, adding that the eagle eye of the Police and other security agencies is on all the criminal elements in the state.
“We are now sending a warning to all criminals to beware that the effective collaboration of the Police and other security agencies with the support of the public, criminals will not have Kogi State as a safe haven to carry out their heinous acts.”
Aya noted that the command will arraign the fours suspects as soon as investigation is concluded.
A 23-year-old robbery suspect, Godwin Emmanuel, has confessed to stealing a police officer’s phone while being transported in a patrol van to the Osun State Police Command. Emmanuel, along with suspects Olajide Kareem (28) and Emmanuel Mike (33), was arrested for allegedly robbing motorists on the Ilesa-Osu Expressway.
The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, provided details on Friday, revealing that the suspects had been targeting drivers and passengers, stealing valuables, and in one incident, shooting a bus driver in the leg. The driver was rushed to Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Ile-Ife for treatment. Kareem was caught hiding in the bush shortly after one of the robberies, admitting he was part of a five-man gang from Ikorodu, Lagos State. Police later detained the other two suspects.
In an unexpected turn, Emmanuel confessed to swiping a phone from one of the officers escorting him. He said, “I didn’t know the phone belonged to a policeman. I took it because I wanted to contact my family, who didn’t know I’d been arrested.” Emmanuel admitted to removing the SIM card and hiding the phone in his cell until officers discovered it during a search.
“I ask them to forgive me. I didn’t mean any harm,” he pleaded, expressing regret over the incident.
The Osun State Police Command noted that investigations are still ongoing and reiterated its commitment to curbing criminal activities and ensuring public safety.
The Defense Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that the newly emerged terrorist group, Lukarawa, has begun recruiting members via social media platforms, but reassured Nigerians that security forces are aware of the situation and are taking steps to prevent the group from gaining ground.
The group is believed to be operating in the northern states of Sokoto and Kebbi, areas that have seen a rise in violent incidents linked to the group.
According to Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Media Operations at the DHQ, *Lukarawa* has recently escalated its activities by using social media to attract new recruits, primarily targeting young people with sermons and welfare incentives. This marks a shift in the group’s recruitment strategy, which has traditionally been more localized.
“The group has started utilizing online platforms, showcasing sermons and offering welfare packages to entice potential recruits,” Buba explained. “However, we are fully aware of their plans, and our forces are actively working with other security agencies and state governments to counter their efforts.”
Lukarawa;s presence has been particularly felt in Sokoto and Kebbi states, where they have carried out a series of attacks. The latest incident occurred in Mera town, Kebbi State, on Friday, when militants attacked during the Friday Jumaat prayers, killing at least 15 people and stealing over 100 cattle. The violence has left communities shaken and has raised concerns over the group’s growing presence in the region.
While *Lukarawa* is being described as a new group, former Department of State Services (DSS) Director Mike Ejiofor noted that the group has actually been active since 2018, initially operating in the Niger Republic. The group was reportedly formed by a local leader named Nassala, and after his death, the group moved into Nigeria, with some elements settling in Sokoto.
Ejiofor suggested that the group, despite its recent spike in visibility, does not currently pose a serious national security threat. “Although they have been operating in the region for some time, their numbers are still small, and they have not grown to the point where they can pose a significant threat to national security,” he said. “Our intelligence agencies have been monitoring their activities closely.”
The former DSS director also highlighted that the group’s recruitment efforts could be countered through stronger intelligence operations and greater cooperation from local communities. He stressed the need for residents to report any suspicious activities to security agencies to prevent the group from gaining further traction.
“This group is still small, but we cannot afford to be complacent,” Ejiofor said. “The community has a vital role to play in supporting security efforts. Reporting suspicious movements and activities is key to stopping these groups from spreading.”
In response to growing concerns, the DHQ has reassured the public that security forces are monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures to protect lives and property. The military has also called on local communities to cooperate fully, as the fight against insurgent groups requires a united front.
The emergence of Lukarawa serves as a reminder of the ongoing security challenges in the northern regions of Nigeria, where various groups continue to exploit local grievances and instability. While the DHQ remains confident in its ability to contain the group, authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any signs of extremist activities.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported another incident of vandalism on the Lokoja–Gwagwalada power transmission line. Unknown vandals have damaged three towers along this route, affecting power transmission.
According to a statement from Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, the vandals also removed two spans of aluminum conductor from line one. Although the transmission line is a double-circuit, TCN is supplying bulk power through the undamaged line two, while efforts are underway to source replacement conductors for the damaged line.
The statement expressed TCN’s alarm over the increasing vandalism incidents, which pose a significant threat to the reliability and growth of Nigeria’s power infrastructure. TCN is appealing to local communities and security agencies to work together to protect these critical assets from further damage.
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