The life of a 17-year-old student of Bowen
University, Opeyemi Odusanya, has been cut short
by some cult members in Lagos. It was gathered
that the undergraduate was murdered for
allegedly rejecting s*xual advances from some
youths in the area and also for “being too proud.”
It was learnt that the victim was a 300 level
student of Biochemistry at the university. Police authorities told our correspondent that
Opeyemi was stabbed to death by the cultists at
her parents’ house in the Alakuko area of Lagos
on February 3, 2014. Police sources told PUNCH
Metro that investigations had revealed that the
culprits were residents of the area. A police
officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said,
“In the afternoon of February 3, 2014, the
deceased went to buy airtime for her telephone.
As she was returning, a group of cult members
trailed and entered the house with her. “Opeyemi
was alone at home when the guys entered. They
instructed her to turn on the generator so that if
she screamed, no one would hear. “We believe
that they wanted to r*pe the girl, but she must
have put up a fierce struggle as the whole house
was scattered. “The guys subsequently stabbed
her in the stomach several times and ripped out
her intestines. “After killing her, they took her
phone and the keys to her parents’ vehicle, a jeep,
which was on the table.
They stole the jeep, which was parked in the
compound, after killing the girl.” The sources told
our correspondent that after the guys had fled,
they used Opeyemi’s telephone line to send a text
message to her mother, explaining why they killed
the 17-year-old. The text message, which was
typed in English and Yoruba languages, and made
available to our correspondent, read, “Your child
has been proud. We have been toasting her, but
she has refused to accept. We have killed her to
teach a lesson. We have also driven your car
away. “If you want your car back, come to Lakas
Hotel or Cele Bus Stop around Mile 2 to pick it
up. If we see policemen around, we will kill
everybody.” Residents of the area told our
correspondent that the victim’s mother, Olayinka,
had a panic attack after reading the message and
quickly informed those that were with her.
However, a phone call from the family’s
housemaid was said to have confirmed Olayinka’s
fears that the text message was not a bluff. It
was learnt that she returned to the house to meet
the lifeless body of her child. It was gathered that
the mother of the deceased, who is a senior
official at the Mushin Local Government
secretariat, later reported the incident at the
Alakuko Police Division. A police source told our
correspondent that the murder weapon had been
recovered. “By all indications, the girl was not
r*ped because her clothes were intact. The knife
used in killing her has been recovered,” the
policeman said. It was gathered that the parents
of the girl had relocated to the Redemption Camp
on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Our
correspondent, who visited the Facebook page of
the deceased, observed that tributes had been
pouring in for the 300 level student. One of her
friends, Folake Kuforiji, wrote, “RIP Dear, May
your soul rest in perfect peace and may the
Almighty God protect and console the rest of your
family. A real gem is gone. I remember back then
in secondary school when we used to call you
Ope International. You left us too soon, but God
knows best.”
