Son, parents charged with murder of Kwara graduate

Four people including a final-year student of Summit University, Offa, Adebayo Happiness, were on Tuesday arraigned at a Kwara State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin over the alleged murder of Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduate of the state College of Health Technology.

Mojisola was allegedly murdered inside the room of Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State capital by Happiness on August 10, 2024, after deceiving her to attend a botched post-graduation party in Ilorin.

Charged along with Happiness were his parents, Adebayo Adeniyi (51) and Bukola Adeniyi (49) as well as an accomplice, 24-year-old Timileyin Kolawole.

They were charged before the court for alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, theft, false personation, and causing disappearance of evidence contrary to Sections 97, 221, 287, 179 and 167 of the Penal Code Law and computer-related frauds contrary to Sections

14(2) (3), 22 (2) (3) of Cybercrime Prevention and Prohibition Law 2015.

The prosecution led by ASP Isaac Yakub told the court that on August 14, 2024, one Blessing Ogungbenro reported at the Offa Police Station that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a graduating student of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa had been missing since Friday, August 9, 2024 she told her that she received a phone call from one Kolawola Timileyin’ joining her to one Adebayo Joshua Happiness, ‘m, a final year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State who was requesting  Mojisola to follow him to his sign-out party holding at the Whitefield hotel, Ilorin for a fee of N15,000.

“Awesu Mojisola later accepted the offer and left Offa to meet up with Adebayo Joshua Happiness at Ilorin lately and while Awesu Mojisola was with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, she complained of being uncomfortable with Adebayo Joshua Happiness in the hotel room that

she was lodged because Adebayo Joshua Happiness was smoking hemp.

“Thereafter, Awesu Mojisola’s phone suddenly became unreachable and her whereabouts became unknown adding that immediate police action led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Hoppiness who was fingered in the sudden disappearance of Awesu Mojisola.”

He said further, “During an investigation, it was revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola from Offa to Ilorin on the pretence of inviting her for a joint sign-out party of Summit and Al-Hikma Universities purported to be holding at Whitefield Hotel but it was fake.

“In the early hours of 10/08/2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness killed and abandoned the lifeless body of Awesu Mojisola in the hotel room, locked the room and ran away with Mojisola Awesu’s iPhone 11 pro and her sum of N15,600 to Offa.

During the discreet investigation, Happiness was said to have confessed that he invited Mojisola to Ilorin from Offa deceiving her that there was a sign-out party at the Whitefield Hotel Ilorin, killed her, abandoned the lifeless body in the hotel room, locked it and fled with her money and her iPhone to Offa.

The prosecution further told the court that the mother of the prime suspect, Adeniyi Bukola, later assisted Happiness in removing the SIM card in the victim’s phone and hid it in a fence block far away from their residence at the Ogunse area in Offa while Happiness’ father assisted in keeping the iPhone in a family car parked within their compound.

The court did not however take the plea of the suspects..

The defence counsel, Mr A. Iwalaye, however pleaded with the court to grant all the suspects bail adding that they would not jump bail and be regular in their appearance at the proceedings and that “they are ready to provide reliable sureties to stand for them in the court.”

But the prosecutor opposed the plea saying that the case was criminal and involved the termination of a life of a human being.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Wahab Saka. then ordered the remand of the suspects at the Federal Correctional Centre, Oke Kura, Ilorin.

The case was adjourned till September 12, 2024, for further hearing.