Adebayo Adeniyi and his wife, Bukola, are accused of tampering with evidence related to the death of Awesu, who their son allegedly murdered.
State Commissioner of Police Victor Olaiya expressed his disappointment over the incident. He confirmed that five individuals, including the Adeniyis, have been apprehended for their roles in the tragic event.
According to the police, Awesu received a phone call on August 9 from a fellow student, Kolawola Timileyin, relaying an invitation to a sign-out party at the Whitefield Hotel in Ilorin.
The invitation, which promised a payment of N15,000, was from Adebayo Joshua Happiness, an expelled final-year student of Summit University.
Awesu accepted the invitation and travelled to Ilorin, but upon arrival, she contacted friends, expressing discomfort and concern that there was no sign of a party. She reported being alone in a hotel room with Happiness, who was allegedly smoking cannabis. Her phone subsequently became unreachable, and her whereabouts were unknown.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Happiness, who is accused of luring Awesu to Ilorin under false pretences. It is alleged that he booked a hotel room at 6:00 p.m. with no intention of hosting a party and later booked an additional room for another female, possibly as a cover-up for his intended actions.
In the early hours of August 10, Happiness allegedly murdered Awesu Mojisola, leaving her lifeless body in the hotel room. He fled the scene with her iPhone and N15,600 in cash, returning to Offa and concealing the stolen phone in his hostel wardrobe.
The police investigation revealed that Mr and Mrs Adebayo Adeniyi attempted to tamper with evidence by retrieving their son’s belongings from his school.
Mrs Adeniyi Bukola is accused of removing the SIM card from the deceased’s iPhone and hiding it within a wall near their residence. Both the iPhone and SIM card were recovered from the couple’s possession.
Three hotel staff members on duty on the day of the incident have also been arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy and causing the disappearance of evidence. They are accused of unlawfully disposing of Awesu’s body at a refuse dump.
