•76 Women Killed in Nigeria in 2024 -Research

By Esther Onyegbula

The shocking arrest of 23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye, a philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University, for the kidnapping and murder of 21-year-old Christiana Idowu has highlighted Nigeria’s growing epidemic of femicide. 

Christiana went missing on August 19, 2024, after her parents received messages from her captor using her WhatsApp account.
The abductor, later identified as Adeleye, demanded a ransom of N1, 500, 000.
Her parents managed to raise N350, 000, which was sent to a betting account as instructed. Despite sending the money and complying with further demands, communication from Adeleye stopped, raising concerns.
Investigations reveal that Adeleye laundered money through Christiana’s account and used the betting account to withdraw funds.
Security operatives traced his movements through phone tracking and discovered a close relationship between Adeleye and Christiana via their social media interactions. 
He was eventually apprehended in his parents’ home in Ikorodu, Lagos, where damning evidence was found, including Christiana’s phone.
Upon arrest, the suspect confessed to killing Christiana and burying her body at his family’s residence. 
Disturbingly, it was also uncovered that Adeleye had previously allegedly been involved in the murder of his girlfriend and sister, further illustrating the rise in gender-based violence in the country.
 Christiana’s death marked the 76th known femicide case in Nigeria in 2024.
Femicide, the intentional killing of women because of their gender, is an escalating crisis across Africa. Victims often suffer in silence, and many of these crimes go unreported.
Ololade Ajayi, founder of DOHS Cares Foundation, stated, “From our research, we’ve recorded 76 cases of women and girls murdered by intimate partners, relatives, or acquaintances in Nigeria this year alone.
“These killings often result from minor disputes or rejections, highlighting deep-rooted gender inequality.”
She described the situation as a “pandemic” and criticized the Nigerian justice system for failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
The Foundation, according to her, has submitted a bill to the Lagos State and National Assemblies to combat femicide and push for stricter legal penalties.
Ajayi emphasized, “We must move beyond social media outrage to real legal reforms and societal change. Women’s lives depend on it.
“This case is part of a disturbing trend, reminding the nation that urgent action is required to combat gender-based violence and protect the lives of countless women across Nigeria”.
The social media has exploded with outrage under the hashtag #JusticeForChristiana, urging the authorities to take more decisive action to protect women.
Femicide has reached unprecedented levels across Africa, with Nigeria witnessing a surge. In 2022, the continent reported the highest global rate of femicide.
Systemic failures, weak legal enforcement, and cultural norms contribute to the increasing violence against women.
Some of the femicide cases in 2024 across Nigeria:
 April 27, 2024 Kumapayi Arinola was stabbed to death by her husband, Onipede Dare, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, over alleged infidelity.
   April 2024: Lukman Adejoju, a 63-year-old man from Osun State, allegedly killed his 100-year-old mother, Aminat, over a disagreement related to palm oil sales.
 May 2024: Ocheze Ogbonna, a young female crane operator at Inner Galaxy Steel Company in Abia State, was allegedly pushed to her death by a Chinese national after allegedly rejecting his romantic advances.
 July 2024: A 23-year-old man, Samson, allegedly stabbed his elderly mother to death in Obiaruku, Delta State.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Adeleye was handed over to the police by military personnel. Investigations are ongoing, he said.

Yobe massacre in village close to Shekau’s place:

We counted about 87 corpses

…survivors narrate divine escape from B/Haram invaders

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Survivors of the Boko Haram massacre
of worshippers at a mosque in Mafa
village, Tarmuwa local government area of Yobe State have narrated their close shave with death, attributing surviving the dastardly attack to divine intervention. 
Mafa is close to Shekau, the ancestral home of the late Boko Haram leader/founder, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau. 
Recall that Boko Haram terrorists raided Mafa last Sunday around 4pm when worshippers were about to conclude their Asir prayers at a mosque and opened fire on the victims, after separating elderly and herdsmen from the congregation.
Sources revealed to Sunday Vanguard that the insurgents were on a revenge mission after security operatives connived with some members of vigilantes/hunters and locals who raided one of their hideouts leading to the killing of a Commander and other Boko Haram members terrorizing Mafa and surrounding communities. 
The Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Idi Barde Gubana, led government officials as well as traditional and religious leaders on Tuesday to Babbangida, the headquarters of the local government area to witnessed the burial of 34 victims recovered and brought into General Hospital Babbangida, while over 50 decomposed or mutilated bodies were given a mass burial in Mafa, as they could not be taken to Babbangida. 
Gubana, who led the delegation on behalf of Governor Mai Mala Buni, who is outside the country on an official engagement, donated N30 million to victims and families of those who lost their lives and the injured ones. 
The Deputy Governor, while sympathizing with the families of the victims and the villagers, prayed Allah to grant Aljannatul Firdaus to the souls of the departed, and also grant quick recovery to the injured victims.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Northern Governors’ Forum and the military authorities have condemned the attack, assuring that more soldiers would be deployed to Yobe to counter renewed Boko Haram attacks. 
One of the survivors, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said he escaped by the whiskers.
“I was lucky to come out of the mosques early, I saw them (insurgents) waiting, one of them shouted that I should go back but I ran away”, he narrated. 
“We counted about 87 corpses after the terrorists left, while other bodies were recovered as people ran for their dear lives to the bush. Unfortunately no security operative was present at the scene even after the attack.
“I am very grateful to Allah (God) for sparing my life as I am preparing to get married and settle down as a family man next month.” 
Another survivor, who simply gave his name as Mallam Ali Isiaka and who attended the burial, said one of his sons was killed, but he thanked Allah (God) for saving his life. 
He called on security agencies to do the needful as most of the people in the area are farmers who will soon start harvesting their crops. “I thank Allah for everything. I pray that the souls of the departed including my son rest in Aljannatul Firdaus”, the survivor said.
“Most of our people here are farmers and herders. It is unfortunate that after the incident, many people fled the village, leaving their farmlands and hard earned properties due to fear of another attacks.
“We are calling on government and security agencies to come to our aid and provide protection for lives and property in Mafa and the entire Tarmuwa local government area”. 
Our correspondent, however, observed that security operatives in the area had been degrading terrorists without giving adequate security cover to the community whose residents claimed that the insurgents latest deadly attack was on suspicion that some members had been giving information on the modus operandi of the insurgents to security agencies, hence the reprisal attack.