17-year-old Ogun schoolgirl abducted, killed despite ransom payment

Tragedy struck in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as a 17-year-old girl, Habeebah Akinsanya, was brutally murdered two days after being kidnapped.

Habeebah, a student of Lisabi Grammar School, was abducted on Friday, August 30, by unidentified assailants at Kilometre 6 community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

Her father, Akinsanya Aremu, a member of the state security outfit So-Safe Corps, reported the abduction to the Kemta Police Station in Abeokuta shortly after it occurred. The kidnappers soon contacted Aremu, demanding a ransom of N1 million for his daughter’s release.

In a desperate bid to save his daughter, Aremu gathered the ransom and transferred it to an Opay account, following the kidnappers’ instructions. Despite fulfilling their demands, his worst fears were realized when the kidnappers directed him to a location near Obasa, a few kilometers from the OGTV/Mile 6 area.

Upon arriving at the location on Sunday morning, Aremu found Habeebah’s lifeless body, mutilated with multiple machete wounds and covered with soldier ants. Shockingly, the kidnappers called him again on Sunday morning, demanding another ransom, which he declined to pay.

Habeebah, who was on the verge of entering SS3 when schools resume on September 13 and would have turned 17 in October, is being prepared for burial. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the increasing insecurity in the region.

As of press time, the Ogun State Police Command has not yet responded to inquiries or provided an official statement regarding the incident.

The tragic loss of Habeebah has left her family and community in mourning, and it raises serious concerns about the safety of residents in the state.