More than a year after the gruesome murder of 21-year-old Christianah Idowu, a 300-level Business Administration student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), her father, Mr. Oluwafemi Idowu, has accused the police of abandoning the case and keeping the family in the dark about the prosecution of the suspect.
In an interview reported by PUNCH, the heartbroken father lamented that there has been no communication or progress in the case since it began in 2024.
“I am unhappy with how the case has progressed. That is why I made a public appeal to know whether the suspect has been released or if the case has been abandoned. I have been kept in the dark since this case began,” he said.
“It is painful because we live in a country where, without money, your voice often goes unheard.”
Christianah was reportedly murdered in Ita Oluwo, Ogun State, by a fellow church member while she was undergoing her industrial attachment. According to her father, the suspect lured her into his home during a rainstorm, killed her, and buried her in his father’s compound.
“She had gone to Ita Oluwo for her industrial attachment. On that day, it was raining, and a church member invited her inside. Unfortunately, he murdered and buried her in his father’s compound,” Idowu recounted.
The police were said to have tracked Christianah’s phone to the suspect, leading to his arrest. The case reportedly went to court, with the first sitting held in September 2024 — but since then, the family claims to have received no updates.
“We filed a report at the police station and provided a statement. The first court sitting happened in September 2024, and since then, we have not heard anything,” Idowu said, expressing fears that the case might have been deliberately stalled.
The grieving father said he has no idea about the suspect’s current status, adding that no official communication has come from the police or any judicial authority.
“My concern is that I have not received any information about whether he has been released or granted bail,” he said.
Although the then Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed in 2024 that the suspect had not been released, Idowu said that since he made a public video appeal, no official from the police headquarters in Abuja has contacted him.
“Despite making a public video appeal, nobody, including officials from the police headquarters in Abuja, has contacted me regarding the case,” he stated.
Still mourning the loss of his only daughter — and his wife, who died a decade ago — Idowu pleaded for justice to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
“I would ask them to handle the case in a way that reassures Nigerians that justice is attainable and that citizens can trust the system. If this case is left unresolved, others could become victims,” he warned.
The 2024 murder of Christianah had sparked nationwide outrage, with rights groups and civil society advocates demanding swift justice. However, as the case continues to drag on without visible progress, many are once again questioning the effectiveness and fairness of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, particularly in cases involving victims from low-income families.