Three Remanded Over Killing Of Retired OGTV Broadcaster, Guard
A Magistrate Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, on Monday ordered that three men accused of murdering retired Ogun State Television broadcaster, Kitan Oyesiku, and her security guard, Pelumi Adetayo, be held in custody for 60 days while prosecutors decide how the case will proceed.
Chief Magistrate O.T. Odubanjo of Court 3 gave the order after ruling on an ex parte application brought by the Police against Sodeinde Olajuwon Philip, Sobu Obafunsho and Shakirudeen Ayoola, the trio arrested in connection with the June killings that shook the Owode-Egba community and the state’s broadcasting circle.
Moving the application, the Legal Officer of the State Criminal Investigation Department in Eleweran, AS Abiodun, told the court that the request, dated July 6, sought to remand the suspects at a correctional facility for 60 days in the first instance, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecution on the appropriate charges. He said the application was brought under Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ogun State, 2017, and the inherent jurisdiction of the court. According to him, it was supported by a 24-paragraph affidavit deposed to by ASP Saka of the homicide section of the State CID, along with 17 exhibits and a written address.
The magistrate granted the relief as prayed and remanded the three men at the Oba Correctional Centre. The matter was adjourned to September 10, 2026.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the suspects would remain in custody while the file was reviewed. “The suspects have been remanded for 60 days on court order pending the legal advice from the DPP for the continuation of the case,” he said. “Obviously, the suspects have been brought before the court for the offences committed with regards to the killing of Madam Kitan Oyesiku and her security guard, Pelumi.” He added that the command, under the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, was assuring the public “that justice would be served and that no stone would be left unturned to ensure that justice is truly served on this matter.”
The case dates back to June, when Oyesiku, a retired staff member of OGTV fondly remembered as “Aunty Kitan,” and her guard were found dead at her residence in the Agodo area of Owode-Egba. Police at the Owode-Egba division received a report of suspicious activity at the premises on June 21, and detectives who visited the scene reportedly found signs of forced entry and a struggle. Adetayo’s body was recovered at the security post, while Oyesiku was found lifeless inside the main building. Her Lexus RX330, initially declared missing, was later recovered.
At an earlier briefing, Ojajuni said the breakthrough came after officers recovered a handwritten note linked to the crime, which was subjected to forensic analysis. That, he said, led detectives to the prime suspect, 22-year-old Sodeinde Philip, arrested on June 24 at a construction site in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, where he was working as a labourer. Two others, Shakirudeen Ayoola, 27, a security guard, and Sobu Obafunsho, 36, a bricklayer, were arrested in follow-up operations.
According to the police, Philip, a former guard to the deceased, allegedly confessed to coordinating the attack over a grievance from his time working for Oyesiku, claiming the act was meant to “teach her a lesson.” The police alleged that the men overpowered Adetayo and used him to gain access to the residence before both victims were killed. The stolen vehicle was traced to the Onikolobo area, and exhibits including a broken hammer, a cutlass, a plank and a black pen were said to have been recovered from locations linked to the suspects.
The suspects are yet to take a plea, as the remand order was granted ahead of formal arraignment once the DPP concludes its review. Under Nigerian law, they remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.