An 18-year-old girl, Habibat Akinsanya, who was reported missing in Ogun State, has been found dead on her father’s farm in Obasa, Mile 6, along Ajebo Road, Abeokuta.
The tragic discovery was made on Sunday, with the victim showing multiple machete wounds to her head and other parts of her body. Her hands were reportedly tied behind her back.
According to The PUNCH, a police source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Akinsanya was sexually assaulted before her murder. “It appears the killing was brutal and deliberate, potentially a revenge attack,” the source said, declining to provide further details on whether it was connected to a cult-related feud.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that the case is being investigated as a premeditated murder.
The father of the deceased, Shamsuddeen Akinsanya, had reported her missing to the Kemta Police Division on August 31, 2024, after she failed to return home from her sister’s Point of Sale shop in the Kemta area.
Police investigations revealed that on August 30, 2024, Habibat left her father’s house to assist her sister at the PoS shop but never arrived.
A man identified as Onyeka, who worked for Habibat’s father and is now the prime suspect in the case, allegedly lured her away by claiming her mother needed her help on the farm to harvest cassava.
“The father reported that Akinsanya left to help her sister at her PoS shop but did not reach her destination and didn’t return home,” the police source stated.
“This was not a case of kidnapping in the usual sense. The victim was lured under false pretenses, then restrained, sexually assaulted, and murdered.”
The father also disclosed that he received a suspicious call demanding money shortly after her disappearance. Police traced the call to Oke Egunya, Totoro, but found no immediate leads. It wasn’t until later that day that they received a tip-off about a body being found on the father’s farm.
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, confirmed that a manhunt is underway for Onyeka, who remains at large. “We are actively pursuing the suspect and have launched a discreet investigation to uncover all aspects of this heinous crime,” Odutola said.
She also clarified standard procedures in missing persons cases, stating, “Usually, in cases of missing persons, we ask the complainant to wait 24 to 48 hours before filing a formal report, as many individuals tend to return within this period. This is standard protocol for law enforcement agencies.”
The investigation remains ongoing as police continue their search for Onyeka and any additional suspects involved in the murder of Habibat Akinsanya.
