Idowu Aliyu, female student killed by a cannibal

The suspect, Jimoh Obabu Salau and Idowu Aliyu, the slain girl

On May 2, when Idowu Aliyu decided to embark on a trip from her town, Egayi back to Zamfara where she’s studying in the School of Health Technology, little did she know that will be the last time she would see her family. Apparently, she would have bade them goodbye with smiles on her face but fate lurked in the dark .The day was not only full of evil but she ended up being a victim of the evil.




On every other day that Idowu went to school, she was always dropped at the garage by one of her brothers but on this particular day, the brother was busy and Idowu was in a hurry and couldn’t wait for her brother to return from his busy schedule to drop her at the park as earlier agreed. Even the persuasion of her Uncle who is their custodian to tarry for a while for her brother to come back fell on deaf ears. Idowu was just in hurry.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the late Idowu got an okada to convey her to the park which was driven by Jimoh Obabu Salau. But unknown to her, Jimoh was an okada man with an ulterior motive.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that midway through the journey, Jimoh Obabu drove into the bush where he took his time to kill her. To achieve his aim, it was gathered Jimoh smashed a stone against the innocent victim and subsequently ensured she breathed her last.

Idowu would have gone to the world unknown without people knowing what killed her but providence presented a farmer who was watching from a close distance where Jimoh had taken the victim for the act. The farmer quickly mobilised people to the place where Jimoh was caught trying to bury the victim. He was apprehended and handed over to the police.

Jimoh confessed being responsible for the death of the 22-year old Idowu but the confession is causing a lot of controversy. Jimoh specialises in using okada to lure victims to the bush where he kills them for meat and sell the remaining part to ritualists.

The police are of the view that Idowu’s death is not only for meat but has a ritual angle to it. Parading the suspect, the state commissioner of Police, Muhammed Katsina said Jimoh Obabu Salau was arrested while trying to bury his victim, Idowu Aliyu, a student of School of Health Technology, Zamfara, aged 22 years.

Kastina revealed that “the suspect was dismissed from the Army while on ECOMOG duties in Liberia after showing cannibalistic behaviour. He was also arrested and sentenced to death in 2003 for killing his wife and two kids; eating their intestine and selling the remaining parts. The suspect was however released from Kaduna prison through the aid of influential, wealthy and highly connected individuals.”

Ever since this revelation , the whole state has been clouded in suspense. While some believe that Jimoh is only looking for ‘meat’, others believe that a popular politician who is seeking election is Jimoh’s sponsor. Those who are alleging political undertones to the murder of Idowu by Jimoh hinged it on the fact that Jimoh had been very close to the politician who is among the top contenders for the SSG office since it was zoned to the area.

Jimoh also appears to be complicating the matter. While not arguing that he is guilty, he is said to be singing a new song. Jimoh, Saturday Vanguard gathered, allegedly claimed the victim was brought to him to kill by two other men from the town rather than the popular assumption that he picked her with his okada. Jimoh has since mentioned more than six names of those who ‘brought’ the lady to him.

Police investigations revealed that the first two persons Jimoh mentioned their names were innocent. When further prompted, Jimoh allegedly mentioned other names which the police discovered were unconnected to the act as well. As at the last count, Jimoh who is now behaving abnormal has implicated eight people as his accomplices in the alleged murder.

Presently, police are in a tight corner over how to unravel the truth behind Idowu’s death. Is it a political or ritual killing or Jimoh’s way of feeding his cannibalistic appetite?

However, the family of late Idowu Aliyu is now calling for justice. They are calling on the federal government and police to ensure that the killer of their daughter did not go unpunished. Head of the family, Mr Aliyu Onuto, who spoke with Saturday Vanguard in his compound in Egayi, Ajaokuta said late Idowu was killed on her way to board a vehicle to Zamfara state where she was schooling.

Mr. Aliyu noted with dismay that although the suspect has been arrested and he has confessed to committing the crime, he is yet to be charged to court for prosecution. “Idowu had dreams but could not live to actualise her dreams due to blood thirsty Jimoh. I understand he killed his wife (a police officer) in 2003 and was let off the hook without punishment. If justice had prevailed that time, this would not have happened. “Today it is Idowu, tomorrow it might be another person. All that we want is for justice to be done,” he said.

Mr. Aliyu, the uncle of the slain victim who revealed that the late Idowu and her siblings lost their parents recently and that he has suffered to take care of her along with her younger siblings wondered why Jimoh could take the life of his innocent niece who was promising and looked as if she would aid the family after graduation.

The state police command is however saying the delay in prosecuting Jimoh Salau is due to the fact that they believed he must have accomplices who buy some of the human parts from him as he could not have been alone in the crime.

The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Katsina said the cannibal who was dismissed from the Army usually eats the inside of his victims and sells the other parts to ritualists and “so, the command is still investigating to get those buying the human parts from him”.

Culled from Vanguard