The prolonged search for the two missing students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), in Ondo State has ended in tragedy. The students, Andrel Eloho Okah and John Friday Abba, who had been missing for over three weeks, have been confirmed dead.
The sad development was confirmed by a security source, who disclosed on Sunday, July 13, that the remains of the two undergraduates were discovered in a bush along a border town between Akoko in Ondo State and Ekiti State.
The source revealed that security operatives were already mobilized to recover the bodies from the forested area where the suspected abductors dumped them.
“It is sad to inform you that the two missing AAUA students have been killed by their suspected abductors. Their bodies have been located where they were hidden,” the source told The Nation.
The deceased students were identified as Andrel Eloho Okah, a 200-level student in the Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Arts, and John Friday Abba, a 200-level student from the Department of Economics, Faculty of Agriculture.
Both were popular among their peers and had been active in campus life until their sudden disappearance.
Their absence was first noticed when they failed to attend classes and participate in academic activities for several days.
Concerned classmates and friends began efforts to trace them, which included visits to their residences and multiple attempts to reach them via phone, all to no avail. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.
Earlier reports by IREPORT247NEWS indicated that their disappearance threw the university community into a state of confusion, anxiety, and fear. Many students expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity and the lack of leads in the search for the missing duo.
A fellow student, identified simply as Ajibola, lamented the situation: “It’s been more than two weeks since they vanished from campus.
“They’ve not attended classes or participated in any academic activity. We have searched everywhere possible and tried calling their numbers, but nothing has worked. We’re all very worried. No one knows if it was a kidnapping or something else entirely.”
READ MORE – Mystery at AAUA: Two Students Missing for Weeks
The tragic confirmation of their deaths has plunged the university community into mourning, with students, staff, and families of the deceased grappling with grief and seeking answers.
Authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on the circumstances surrounding their abduction and murder. Meanwhile, security agencies are continuing investigations to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime.