Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State Police Command has declared two men wanted in connection with the alleged murder of a 26‑year‑old woman and the removal of her body from the Ikoyi area of Lagos, in a case that has sent shockwaves through the city’s high‑end neighbourhoods and raised troubling questions about the safety of young women in Nigeria’s commercial capital. The suspects, identified as 32‑year‑old Folawiyo Balogun Alagbado and 33‑year‑old Ajibola Obateru, were named in separate wanted‑person bulletins issued by the police on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, through the Office of the Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Musiliu Smith Street, Panti‑Yaba.
The victim has been identified as Chukwunyere Esther Chinaza, an Imo State indigene who reportedly returned to Nigeria from Dubai in June 2026. She was last seen on June 22, 2026, around the Shoreline axis of Banana Island, Ikoyi, one of Lagos’s most exclusive residential areas. Her family has been searching for her ever since and has not been able to establish whether she is alive or dead. The police have not publicly disclosed how Chinaza was allegedly killed or where her body was taken.
According to the police bulletins, the suspects “conspired with others to attack the victim, killed her and took away her body and personal belongings”. The incident occurred in the Ikoyi axis of Lagos. One suspect, identified only as Hakeem, is reportedly in police custody at the SCID, Panti, Yaba, in connection with the case.
The police provided detailed descriptions of the two wanted men. Ajibola Obateru, 33, is described as a Yoruba man, about 5.9 feet tall, thinly built, with an oval face, long nose, small mouth, thin lips, black eyes, fair complexion, and pointed chin. He has thick black hair, a high head and high forehead, and “appears gentle” in his habits and mannerisms. His last known address is Ibadan, Oyo State.
Folawiyo Balogun Alagbado, 32, is described as a Yoruba man of average height, with an oval face, wide nose, long and wide mouth, medium lips, dark complexion and round chin. His last known address is also Ibadan, Oyo State. Both men are believed to be in Ibadan or possibly on the run.
The police have urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of either suspect to report immediately to the nearest police station or the Office of the Commissioner of Police, SCID, Musiliu Smith Street, Panti-Yaba, Lagos. A contact number, 08038843816, has also been provided for information that could assist in the suspects’ arrest. The command advised members of the public who encounter the suspects not to take the law into their own hands but to immediately alert the police.
The case has drawn attention to the rising wave of violent crime in Lagos, particularly in upscale areas like Ikoyi and Banana Island, which are often perceived as safe havens. The abduction of a young woman who had just returned from abroad, the alleged killing, and the theft of her body have raised fears that a new breed of criminals is operating with chilling impunity. The circumstances surrounding the alleged murder remain under investigation, and the police have not disclosed a motive for the crime.
For the family of Esther Chinaza, the wait for answers has been agonising. One of her brothers told SaharaReporters that the family became increasingly concerned after she disappeared and had since been trying to establish what happened to her. He said the family wanted the police to intensify efforts to locate her.
As the manhunt for Alagbado and Obateru intensifies, the case has become a test of the Lagos State Police Command’s ability to bring high‑profile criminals to justice. The declaration of the suspects as wanted, with detailed descriptions and a public appeal for information, suggests that the police are treating the case with the seriousness it deserves. But for the family of Esther Chinaza, the only justice that will suffice is the recovery of her body and the arrest of those responsible for her death.
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