Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has expressed outrage over the abduction and murder of Christiana Idowu, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, by Adeleye Ayomide, a 200-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University.
On September 5, 2024, Ayra Starr took to social media platform X to demand justice for Christiana, calling for better treatment of women in society.
She strongly condemned the violence against women, writing,
“Stop killing us! Stop raping us! Women deserve better,” and using the hashtag #JusticeForChristianah to amplify the call for action.
Christiana was kidnapped along the Ikorodu-Yaba Road in August 2024, and her captors used her WhatsApp account to contact her parents, who reported her missing on August 19. The kidnappers sent photos of her in captivity using the “view once” feature on WhatsApp and demanded ₦1.5 million in ransom.
However, Christiana’s parents could only raise ₦350,000, which was sent to a betting account per the kidnappers’ instructions. Despite the payment, the kidnappers continued to manipulate the situation, asking for more information and even requesting a copy of the sender’s bank statement after receiving the money.
The situation took a darker turn when the kidnappers stopped all communication after receiving the bank statement. During the transaction process, some of the ransom money was traced back to Christiana’s GTB account, which was then transferred to a Wema Bank account linked to Adeleye Ayomide.
Ayomide, the main suspect, was subsequently identified and apprehended by the police on September 3, 2024. This breakthrough in the investigation came as a result of the traceable transactions, which led the authorities to the suspect.
After his arrest, Ayomide confessed to the horrific crime, admitting that he had killed Christiana and buried her body at his family home. The tragic case has sparked outrage across the country, with many, including Ayra Starr, calling for justice and stronger measures to protect women from violence.
Christiana’s death has brought attention to the urgent need for reform and more effective responses to cases of abduction and violence against women in Nigeria.
