The abduction and killing of 14-year-old Oluwadamilola Adedayo has exposed the brutality of a kidnapping operation in Abuja, after police disclosed that the teenager was murdered while her family was negotiating for the release of abducted relatives.
The Nigeria Police Force said seven suspected kidnappers abducted four members of a family in Kuchiyako, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, on August 23, 2026.
The victims were identified as Oluwadamilola, her mother, Nancy, her 12-year-old brother, David, and their housemaid, Jennifer David.
According to a report by Premium Times published on October 24, the police said the family paid ₦16.2 million in ransom but the abductors subsequently demanded another ₦50 million.
The girl’s decomposing body was later recovered from a forest in Tukuba, Kuje, on October 19, following an intelligence-led operation by police operatives.
Police Say Teenager Was Killed After Resisting Sexual Assault
Victor Godfrey, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and commander of the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad, disclosed the details while presenting the arrested suspects to journalists.
He said Oluwadamilola was killed after resisting an attempt by her abductors to sexually molest her.
The police account was further supported by the testimony of her 12-year-old brother, David, who reportedly recounted the ordeal to journalists.
According to the boy, the kidnappers broke into the family home at midnight and took the victims into the forest.
He said his sister injured one of the abductors with a cutlass, after which the gang members became angry and attacked her.
David reportedly told journalists that the attackers beat his sister, threw rocks at her and eventually pushed her from a cliff.
One of the suspects, 18-year-old Alidu Lawal, denied that members of the gang attempted to sexually assault the teenager. He showed reporters an injury on his wrist which he claimed was inflicted by the deceased.
The allegation concerning the attempted sexual assault therefore remains part of the police account and is subject to the criminal investigation and judicial process.
Younger Brother Escapes After Being Abandoned in the Forest
The account of David’s escape provides another disturbing dimension to the incident.
He reportedly said the kidnappers tied him to a tree before leaving to obtain supplies. He managed to free himself and spent the night near a stream.
The following day, he encountered a herdsman, who helped direct him towards people who could assist him.
Hunters and local residents subsequently helped him reach a village chief, while vigilantes took him to a hospital in Danfara, Kuje, where relatives eventually located him.
The police commander said the boy escaped before the family paid the ransom and that the family did not know Oluwadamilola had been killed.
The survival of the younger child provided investigators with an important account of what allegedly happened during the captivity.
Family Paid ₦16.2 Million as Kidnappers Demanded More
According to the police, the abductors initially released the children’s mother approximately one hour after the kidnapping to coordinate ransom negotiations.
The family subsequently paid ₦16.2 million for the release of the children, but the gang allegedly demanded another ₦50 million.
The police did not disclose whether any additional payment was made.
Investigators also linked the suspected gang to another kidnapping involving a businessman, John Ali, who was abducted in Kuje on September 24. The police said he was released after the payment of ₦3 million and recharge cards valued at ₦100,000.
Seven Suspects Arrested, Weapons Recovered
The police said the arrests followed an intelligence-led investigation after a petition was endorsed by the Inspector-General of Police’s Secretariat on October 15.
Two suspects were arrested in Rijana community, Kaduna State, while five others were apprehended in the Sagbon Lugbe area of Abuja through a joint operation involving police operatives, vigilantes and other security agencies.
During a search of the gang’s camp in Tukuba Forest on October 19, operatives reportedly recovered the deceased’s remains.
The police also said the suspects were found with four AK-47 rifles, a locally made revolver pistol, 63 rounds of live ammunition, a motorcycle, ₦400,000 and a mobile phone allegedly used for ransom negotiations.
Police said investigations were continuing, with efforts underway to arrest other suspected members of the syndicate and recover additional weapons.
The case is a sobering reminder of the human cost of kidnapping, particularly when children become bargaining instruments in criminal operations. Beyond the ransom demands and weapons recovered, the death of a 14-year-old girl and the trauma suffered by her surviving brother place the need for effective intelligence, rescue operations and prosecution of kidnapping networks firmly in the public spotlight.
The arrested suspects remain entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Source attribution: The details were reported by Premium Times on October 24, 2026, based on disclosures by the police commander and accounts given by members of the affected family.
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