Ayomide Adeleye, a 23-year-old student at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State, has admitted to killing Christiana Idowu, an 18-year-old church member.
Adeleye, who is currently in the custody of the Lagos State Police Command Tactical Unit, said that financial problems prompted him to commit the crime.
Adeleye admitted that he enticed Idowu, an industrial training student at Yaba College of Technology, to his house under the guise of repairing her phone.
The incident occurred when Idowu went to Adeleye’s house about 5 p.m. on the day of the murder.
After killing her, the suspect allegedly buried her in a shallow grave behind his compound in the early morning.
Adeleye allegedly extorted N350,000 from the victim’s mother by falsely stating her daughter had been kidnapped.
He first requested N3 million but eventually accepted N350,000, which was allegedly paid into his SportyBet account.
His arrest came after the police traced the SportyBet account he had linked to his National Identification Number, or NIN.
Adeleye apologised for his behaviour, citing the close relationship between his mother and the victim’s mother.
He also admitted to considering suicide while in custody, saying he looked for ways to end his life but was unable to do so.
“I killed her because I had financial problems. She came to our house and asked me to repair her phone. I squeezed her throat until she gave up. The first thing I said to her mother [during a phone call] was “Hello, madam, we have your daughter”. I don’t deserve any mercy for what I’ve done. I regret it deeply and ask God for forgiveness,” he said.