The long arm of the law finally caught up with the murderer of Obasanjo Adeola Omoyale since 2019 when he was found wrapped in a car boot as judgment was delivered last Friday.
Six years after he arrived in Cyprus to pursue a PhD at the International Cyprus University, 33-year-old Obasanjo Adeola Owoyale was murdered in cold blood—by a fellow Nigerian and family friend whom he had given a lift in foreign land.
On July 1, 2019, he was declared missing and, 8 days later, was found dead, wrapped in a blanket inside the trunk of his car parked in an open area near the Martyr Hussein Ruso Middle School in Lefkosia, capital city of Cyprus.
His feet were tied with a belt. On his head was a large cut, with a trace of his blood on a car found at the scene. An autopsy revealed that he died from a brain injury and from broken head bones.
The Cypriot police, during investigation, examined camera images around the area and identified the last place he visited, which led to the arrest of 11 people in an organized early morning operation in a three-storey apartment building located just about 200 meters from where the car was found.
Over 38 people were questioned during the period of investigation, according to Nigerian-owned, Cyprus-based online outlet Olomoinfo.
During investigation, police found blood stains on the wall of the apartment and took several items, including a knife and a blood-stained carpet, for examination. Forensics proved it was Obasanjo’s blood.
Police findings revealed that he was murdered over a dispute concerning 32,000 euros while about 36,241 euros was withdrawn from his account during the period.
Following series of appearances in court, all those arrested, mostly Nigerians, were released from detention with no case brought against them in connection with the murder.
However, one such suspect had left for Nigeria: Sunday Osemeahon. On September 29, 2019, he was arrested during immigration process at the Istanbul Airport in Turkey and handed over to Turkish Cypriot police. Reports at the time said he was traveling to Dubai when he was arrested but the suspect said he was actually heading to Cyprus to clear his name.
“During investigation, police found blood stains on the wall of the apartment and took several items, including a knife and a blood-stained carpet, for examination. Forensics proved it was Obasanjo’s blood.”
Six years after he arrived in Cyprus to pursue a PhD at the International Cyprus University, 33-year-old Obasanjo Adeola Owoyale was murdered in cold blood—by a fellow Nigerian and family friend whom he had given a lift in foreign land.
On July 1, 2019, he was declared missing and, 8 days later, was found dead, wrapped in a blanket inside the trunk of his car parked in an open area near the Martyr Hussein Ruso Middle School in Lefkosia, capital city of Cyprus.
His feet were tied with a belt. On his head was a large cut, with a trace of his blood on a car found at the scene. An autopsy revealed that he died from a brain injury and from broken head bones.
The Cypriot police, during investigation, examined camera images around the area and identified the last place he visited, which led to the arrest of 11 people in an organized early morning operation in a three-storey apartment building located just about 200 meters from where the car was found.
Over 38 people were questioned during the period of investigation, according to Nigerian-owned, Cyprus-based online outlet Olomoinfo.
During investigation, police found blood stains on the wall of the apartment and took several items, including a knife and a blood-stained carpet, for examination. Forensics proved it was Obasanjo’s blood.
Police findings revealed that he was murdered over a dispute concerning 32,000 euros while about 36,241 euros was withdrawn from his account during the period.
Following series of appearances in court, all those arrested, mostly Nigerians, were released from detention with no case brought against them in connection with the murder.
However, one such suspect had left for Nigeria: Sunday Osemeahon. On September 29, 2019, he was arrested during immigration process at the Istanbul Airport in Turkey and handed over to Turkish Cypriot police. Reports at the time said he was traveling to Dubai when he was arrested but the suspect said he was actually heading to Cyprus to clear his name.
He was taken to court the following day on charges of manslaughter and robbery. Police prosecutor told the court that the accused murdered Obasanjo on Monday, July 1 and then fled the country on Thursday, July 4.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused later confessed to the murder and admitted to taking a specified amount of money from Obasanjo.
Obasanjo, Olomoinfo reports, had just withdrawn a huge amount of money from the bank and had given the suspect a lift from a university in Lefkosia, to the suspect’s apartment in the city, when he was murdered. They were also family friends in Nigeria.
Police said Osemeahon killed Obasanjo with a cutting tool immediately he entered his own apartment. Then wrapped him in a blanket, threw him down from the window, put him in the trunk of the victim’s car, and drove the car to an open space few meters away from the scene. He then tried to conceal evidence by cleaning the scene.
Four days later he fled the country.
Judgement was delivered yesterday Friday by a court in Lefkosia.
Fadil Aksun, president of the Lefkosa Heavy Penal Court, announced that the jury unanimously sentenced the accused to 32 years in prison. He said the accused accepted all charges of premeditated manslaughter, manslaughter, and robbery.
Aksun, who described the crime as serious and deserving of a long prison term, said the robbery element; defendant’s use of an assault weapon in the murder; use of barbaric and ruthless methods; and what he did to the dead body after the act were aggravating factors.
“The defendant came to our country as a student in 2015. Our country has been described as an island of education for a long time. Of course, despite the fact that our country is not recognized in the international arena, it is pleasing to have this title and students from many nationalities are hosted in the TRNC by the people of this country. However, those who come to the country as a student must behave in accordance with the laws,” Aksun noted in judgement.