Ransom Paid, Life Lost: The Heartbreaking Story of Abigail Damilola’s Murder (Video)

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 100-level Biology student of the Federal University Lokoja, Jeremiah Paul, in connection with the abduction and murder of his female colleague, Abigail Damilola. The suspect, originally from Kaduna State, reportedly confessed to kidnapping Damilola, demanding a ransom of N400,000 from her family, and subsequently killing her after receiving the money.

According to police reports, Jeremiah lured Damilola to an uncompleted building, where he took her life after collecting the ransom. Following the murder, he contacted her family again, this time demanding an additional N10 million. However, the police were able to track his activities and apprehended him shortly thereafter.

During interrogation, Jeremiah claimed to have acted alone in the crime, though police investigations suggest otherwise. He also denied any involvement in mutilating Damilola’s body, despite evidence to the contrary. When asked about his motive, Jeremiah admitted that he killed her because she had seen his face and he feared she would escape and expose him.

William Aya, the spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, provided further details on the case. He stated that the police were initially alerted to Damilola’s disappearance, which led to a swift investigation and the eventual arrest of the suspect.

“The case of a missing person was reported, and our officers immediately swung into action. This led to the arrest of Jeremiah Paul, a 21-year-old student at the Federal University Lokoja. He was apprehended on Wednesday, and during questioning, he admitted to kidnapping the girl on September 4. The suspect also confessed to demanding a ransom of N400,000 from the victim’s parents. After receiving the money, he strangled her, mutilated her body, and buried her in the Lokoja area. Yesterday, he led the police to the location where her remains were found,” Aya explained.

A video shared on social media also shows Jeremiah confessing to the crime, where he claimed this was his “first time” engaging in such an act.