Habibat Akinsanya, an 18-year-old girl who had been reported missing, was found dead on her father’s farm in Obasa, Mile 6, along Ajebo Road, in Abeokuta, Ogun State’s capital.
According to information obtained on Monday, the victim was found dead on Sunday, with multiple machete wounds to her head and other parts of her body, and her hands bound behind her back.
It was informed that the victim had been sexually assaulted prior to her murder, citing credible police sources.
It was informed by a police source who wished to remain anonymous because he lacked the right to speak for the state command that the horrific murder may have been connected to a family revenge assault.
When asked whether this was a cult-related retaliation, the source declined to go further.
The Ogun State Police Command stated that the incident being looked into as a possible premeditated murder.
The deceased’s father, Shamsudeen, had previously reported his daughter missing to the Kemta Police Division on August 31, 2024.
Akinsanya allegedly left her father’s home on August 30, 2024, to help her sister, who runs a point-of-sale business in the Kemta area. It is said that while she was there, Onyeka approached her.
The victim was allegedly informed by Onyeka, a main suspect in the murder who usually worked for the father, that her mother needed her assistance at the farm with the cassava harvest.
However, it was discovered that when the deceased’s sister was unable to locate her at the shop or at home, the family began to suspect foul play. The father then called the Kemta Police Division to report the issue.
The cop said, “The father informed the police that Akinsanya had left the house to assist at her sister’s Point of Sale shop on Mile 6, Ajebo Road. However, when the sister arrived at the shop, Akinsanya was not there and did not return home.
“This case does not involve kidnapping, as none of the typical elements are present. While the exact motive behind the murder remains unclear, rumours suggest it was premeditated. The victim was not forcibly abducted but was lured by the perpetrator under the pretence that her mother needed her at the farm. Once there, the perpetrator restrained her, raped and then murdered her.
“The father reported receiving a phone call from someone demanding money. The number was tracked, and the police searched the last known location of the number in Oke Egunya, Totoro, for hours. This search yielded no results until a call was received indicating that the girl’s body had been discovered on her father’s farm.
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the command, stated on Monday that a manhunt had been launched to find the fugitive suspect and that an investigation had commenced to ascertain the facts surrounding the murder.
She stated, “In cases of missing persons, the police typically ask the complainant to wait 24 to 48 hours before filing a report, as some individuals return home within that timeframe. This is a standard procedure followed by law enforcement.
“A manhunt has been launched to aid in the apprehension of Onyeka, who is currently at large. Our officers have also initiated a discreet investigation into the matter.”
