The Lagos Police refute claims that murder suspect Ayomide Adeleye has been released. Adeleye, arrested in September 2024 for the murder of Christianah Idowu, remains in custody at Ikoyi Prison. Authorities clarify that reports of his release stem from confusion with another individual bearing the same name, released for unrelated charges.
The Lagos State Police Command has refuted claims that Ayomide Adeleye, a suspect in the murder of Christianah Idowu, has been released. Adeleye, a 200-level Philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), was arrested in September 2024 for the abduction and subsequent killing of Idowu, a 300-level student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Reports had circulated, particularly by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), suggesting that Adeleye had not been remanded for the crime. The FIJ report claimed that sources within Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons confirmed Adeleye's absence from custody.
In response, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, firmly dismissed the claims, stating that Adeleye remains detained at Ikoyi Prison under a remand order issued by Magistrate Seyi Omodara. Hundeyin explained that the confusion arose due to another individual with the same name who was released in April 2024 for an unrelated offence.
“We want to assure the public that Ayomide Adeleye, charged with murder, is still in custody. The reports suggesting otherwise are incorrect and based on misinformation,” Hundeyin emphasized. He also criticized FIJ for relying on unnamed sources rather than official records from the Correctional Service.
Adeleye's case, which shocked the public, involves allegations of kidnapping Idowu, demanding a ransom, and later admitting to killing and burying her in a shallow grave. The police maintain their commitment to ensuring justice is served.
