A heartbroken mother has recounted the harrowing details of her 25-year-old daughter’s alleged ritual killing by an ex-boyfriend in Lagos, pleading with authorities to ensure justice prevails in the shocking case that has left her family devastated.
Fifty-year-old Balikis Olanrewaju narrated how her daughter, Adijat Pereira, a Mass Communication graduate working at a microfinance organization, was brutally murdered in what appears to be a ritual killing at the home of her former boyfriend, Omotolani Sunday Taiwo (popularly known as Daine), in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos.
The nightmare began on February 27 when Adijat’s employer called to report her absence from work—an unusual occurrence for the diligent young woman. “Her boss called me around 10 am asking why she hadn’t come to work,” the distraught mother recalled. “I immediately knew something was wrong because my daughter was very responsible.”
What followed was a day of frantic calls and messages, with Taiwo allegedly manipulating the situation by responding to messages from Adijat’s phone while concealing her death. “He kept calling me, pretending to help look for her, when he already knew he had killed her,” Olanrewaju said, her voice trembling with emotion.
The gruesome discovery came after Taiwo finally directed the family to his residence at Iyana Ekoro. “When we arrived, I saw a figure in white at the door before being pushed back by some mysterious force,” the mother recounted.
Family members who eventually gained access found a horror scene—Adijat’s lifeless body laid out on a bed with a towel covering her, surrounded by ritual items including a bowl of blood, a human heart, calabashes, and charms.
Postmortem examination revealed the extent of the brutality—severe head trauma from an axe, multiple knife wounds, broken bones, and evidence of blood drainage. “He blinded her, broke her arm, and tried to cut off her thumbs while she struggled,” the grieving mother disclosed, showing graphic photos as evidence.
The case took disturbing turns as Taiwo’s family allegedly attempted to interfere with investigations. “They went to my ex-husband’s house without my knowledge, trying to negotiate the matter,” Olanrewaju claimed. Police reports indicate the murder occurred around midnight on February 26, with the suspect keeping the body in an air-conditioned room for three days before discovery.
The Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti has taken over the case from Meiran Police Station. Investigators have sealed the crime scene and collected forensic evidence, but progress has been slow according to the victim’s family. “They keep giving excuses whenever we go for updates,” the mother lamented.
Adijat, described by her mother as “a gentle, respectful soul who always wore a smile,” would have turned 25 this October. Her brutal killing has left the single mother, who raised Adijat and her sibling alone after an accident left her partially disabled, pleading for justice.
“I beg Governor Sanwo-Olu and all Nigerians to help me get justice for Adijat,” Olanrewaju cried. “This boy thinks he’s powerful, but my daughter’s life matters. The evidence is clear—he murdered my child for ritual purposes and now wants to bury the case.”
Police authorities confirm the suspect remains at large while investigations continue. The case has drawn comparisons to other recent ritual killing incidents in Nigeria, raising concerns about the growing trend of such crimes among young people.
As the bereaved mother awaits justice, she keeps memories of her daughter alive—photos of a bright young woman full of promise, now gone too soon in the most horrific circumstances. “Every night I see her face,” she whispered. “I won’t rest until her killer faces the full wrath of the law.”
