Barely three weeks after the gruesome murder of two undergraduates of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), another student of the Ondo State-owned institution has been reportedly killed—this time by her boyfriend, throwing the campus community into fresh turmoil.
The victim, identified as Joy Adeyemi, a student from the Department of Human Kinetics, was allegedly murdered on Tuesday by her boyfriend, who is now on the run. The suspect, said to be an indigene of Akungba town, reportedly locked Joy’s lifeless body in his room before fleeing the area with the money she used to run her Point of Sale (POS) business.
According to a source who spoke with Vanguard, the crime came to light after neighbors began to perceive a foul odour emanating from the suspect’s room. Alarmed by the smell and Joy’s sudden disappearance since Tuesday, they alerted other students in the area. Her decomposed body was eventually discovered in the locked room.
“We still do not know the motive behind the killing,” the source said. “She operated a POS business in the neighborhood. After she went missing, it wasn’t until the odour became unbearable that neighbors forced their way in and made the horrifying discovery.”
The incident has further inflamed tensions in the university town, which is still reeling from the recent abduction and killing of two students—Andrel Okah from the Department of History and International Studies, and John Abba from the Department of Economics. Their suspected killers were arrested by police, but controversy erupted after the key suspect, who was reportedly John Abba’s landlord, died mysteriously in police custody.
In response to Joy Adeyemi’s death, students took to the streets of Akungba in protest. Carrying placards with messages such as “Stop killing us, AAUA students,” and “The state government should intervene,” they marched through the university community, demanding justice and improved security.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Committee (JCC), Ondo Axis, also issued a strongly worded statement condemning the killing. The statement, signed by the Chairman, Comrade Adekanye Adeboye, and the Secretary, Oladele Emmanuel, described the recent events as “appalling” and “a clear indication of a security lapse.”
“Nigerian students are tired of watching their colleagues being murdered without consequences,” the statement read. “We issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the Ondo State Government and all relevant security agencies to apprehend the perpetrator, bolster campus security, and ensure that such acts never occur again. Failure to meet these demands will result in a nationwide mobilization of students for a massive peaceful protest in Ondo State.”
The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the incident. Spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka revealed that three suspects have already been arrested and are currently under interrogation. He added that the primary suspect, Joy’s boyfriend, remains at large but will soon be apprehended by detectives tracking his movements.
This latest killing has further deepened concerns about the safety of students in Akungba and the growing pattern of violence targeting members of the university community. Students are calling on the state government and security agencies to act decisively before the situation spirals out of control.
