Husband, Accomplices Charged in Grisly Murder of Wife’s Lover

A chilling tale of jealousy, betrayal, and brutality unfolded in a Lagos court this week, as authorities charged 35-year-old Sunday Sojunu and accomplice Dare Sampson with the kidnap, torture, and gruesome murder of 45-year-old Ayoola Bello—allegedly his wife’s lover—in Ikorodu. The case, which has gripped social media and local communities, highlights the deadly consequences of infidelity-fueled rage in Nigeria’s bustling commercial hub.

Prosecutor ASP Kehinde Olatunde laid out the harrowing sequence of events during Wednesday’s proceedings at the Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court. Bello, enticed to the suspects’ Ikorodu residence under false pretenses, was kidnapped, held captive, and subjected to unimaginable torment. The duo allegedly demanded a N200,000 ransom from his family before forcing him to ingest a lethal poison, which proved fatal.

In a macabre twist, Sojunu and Sampson dismembered Bello’s body—severing arms and legs, stuffing them into sacks separate from the torso—and ferried the parts via motorcycle to Adamo Junction. There, they dumped the remains into a river, hoping to erase evidence of their crime, according to court documents.

The plot reportedly stemmed from Sojunu’s wife, TikTok creator Toyin, who connected with Bello online and met him secretly in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on September 15. Posing as a trip to Cotonou, Benin Republic, she spent two days with him at a hotel. Soon after, both she and Sojunu fell mysteriously ill, which they blamed on her affair. Toyin confessed to her husband, who then coerced her into luring Bello to their home. Beforehand, Sojunu had enlisted a wanted cultist hitman as a third accomplice, though charges specify Sojunu and Sampson.

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These acts contravene Sections 165 (conspiracy), 222 (murder, punishable by death), and 233 (disposal of body) of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015. The suspects, arrested on December 8, did not enter pleas. Magistrate O.O. Adeosun remanded Sojunu and Sampson at Ikoyi Correctional Centre, with Toyin held at Kirikiri for women, pending Director of Public Prosecutions’ advice. The case resumes January 21, 2026.

Local residents in Ikorodu express shock, with community leaders calling for stricter cybercrime monitoring to prevent such online enticements turning deadly. Police assure ongoing investigations into related cults.