Suspected killer of Lead Varsity student extradited to Nigeria from Qatar

The Nigeria Police Force has completed the extradition of a fleeing murder suspect from Doha, Qatar, to the country.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement he posted on his official X handle @princemoye1 on Saturday.

He said the suspect, who had been on the run for the murder of Miss Augusta Onuwabhagbe in Lagos, was returned to the country on Saturday.

The spokesman said: “The suspect returned in the early hours of today through coordinated efforts with the Ministry of Justice, International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), National Central Bureau (NCB), Force Headquarters Abuja, and the Qatari Judicial Authorities.

“The extradition followed a petition from the family of the deceased, submitted through their legal representatives, and was dated September 29, 2024.

“The matter was assigned to INTERPOL NCB Abuja for investigation.”

According to Adejobi, investigations revealed that the suspect murdered Onuwabhagbe, a 21-year-old first-class student of Lead City University, Ibadan, at his residence in Abiola Apooyi Street, Oral Estate, Ajah, Lagos, on July 13, 2023.

He added: “After committing the crime, he fled Nigeria and later released an online video purporting to confess to the act, a deceptive strategy to derail investigative efforts.

READ ALSO: Remaining 8 abducted Kogi varsity students rescued

“Following the declaration as a wanted person by the NPF Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department on October 13, 2023, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued for his global apprehension.

“He was initially apprehended in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in October 2023 under the false identity ‘KANU PRINCETON SAMUEL,’ but escaped custody during a prison break on November 26, 2023, in Freetown.

“Further intelligence gathering revealed that the suspect continued to evade law enforcement, traversing multiple regions including West Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East, under forged identities before relocating to Doha, Qatar, on January 24, 2025.

“Operating under the alias ‘TOURE ABDOULAYE’ with a fraudulent Guinean passport, he secured illegal employment and concealed his identity.

“Through robust international cooperation and the use of advanced biometrics, INTERPOL NCB Abuja, in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Doha, confirmed his identity, leading to his arrest by Qatari authorities in February 2025.

“An official extradition request, processed via the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, was subsequently approved by the Qatari judicial authorities, resulting in his repatriation to Nigeria.”

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