Crime
PHOTOS: UK court sentences Nigerian man to life imprisonment for k!lling ex-girlfriend
A Nigerian man who m8rdered a woman he worked with after she ended their brief “controlling relationship” has been given a life sentence in the United Kingdom.
LIB reported that Adedapo Adegbola, 40, fatally st@bbed Stephanie Irons, 23, in the neck, at her home in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, on the evening of 21 October, 2025.
Adegbola relocated to the UK in 2022.
Nottingham Crown Court heard Adegbola, a social worker, “had become obsessed” with Irons and planned to kill her.
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Adegbola was told at the same court he would spend a minimum term of 25 years in prison following his guilty plea last month.
Speaking in court, Irons’s mother said: “I have no words to say how broken I am to have lost her in such a horrific way.
Adegbola sobbed as the mother described her daughter’s “compassionate and caring” nature.
“She lit up the room and could make even the saddest person smile,” she said.
“That’s because she wanted to make a happy and kinder world.”
Sentencing Adegbola Judge Nirmal Shant KC said: “You had been in a brief relationship with Stephanie Irons after you met as work colleagues.
“Your controlling behavior led her to end the relationship. What is plain is that you were not prepared to accept that.
The court heard Adegbola had purchased two knives and travelled by taxi to Irons’s home in Westdale Lane West, unknown to her, after they finished work on 21 October.
He arrived about 20 minutes later than her and after she appeared to take her bins out, he entered, leaving an hour and 50 minutes later.
Prosecuting, Peter Joyce KC told the court Adegbola had sent a number of screenshots of sexually explicit messages from Irons’s phone to colleagues “probably after he had k!lled [her]”.
Concerned for Irons, two colleagues visited her home in Mapperley but when there was no answer, they called the police.
Officers were eventually able to get into the flat through a rear window.
The court heard Irons was found lying on her back on the floor, surrounded by blood.
Joyce said: “It is the prosecution’s case that he has become obsessed with this woman and could or would not accept that the relationship was over.
Before Adebola m8rdered Irons, the court heard colleagues had become concerned by his behaviour towards her.
On 15 October, he purchased two knives “in order to k!ll” Irons.
Days later, he went to her home armed with a knife and inflicted a number of cuts to her as well as the fatal blow to the front of her neck.
The court heard after attacking her, Adegbola sat on the sofa “as she lay d3ad, or dying”
He then left taking with him her phone and her keys, locking her inside before fleeing and disposing of his shirt, trousers and the m8rder weapon on his way.
What you did on that day was to take the life of a young girl who was compassionate and accomplished and whose only fault was to love you at one time,” the judge said.
Adegbola handed himself into the police on 22 October, after feeling to Hull, and later pleaded guilty to murder in January.
Det Insp Stuart Barson, the senior investigating officer in the case, said Irons’s family had shown “incredible strength and bravery” throughout the investigation.
In a statement read out on the family’s behalf he said: “We have lost our beautiful daughter and shining light.
“No-one will ever take away the pain that’s been caused the this senseless act.
“She was the kindest, sweetest person anyone could meet and our lives will never be the same.
“She touched so many lives with her personality and kind soul.
“While justice will be done, time will never heal our loss.”
A number of police officers were in court on Thursday, at the request of Irons’s mother – a former officer – so she could thank them.
FOLLOW US ON:
Crime
PHOTOS: NDLEA intercepts N6.2bn worth of ‘Jihadi drug’ in Ghana soap, opioids at Lagos airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of captagon, widely known as ‘Jihadi drug’ and millions of opioid pills worth over N6.2 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
The captagon shipment was seized at the Lagos airport on Saturday 22nd August 2026 following the arrest of a 49-year-old cross-border kingpin Akinbile Kazeem Aikins, who arrived from Accra Ghana aboard an African World Airlines flight.
A search of his carton of local bathing soap, popularly called “Ghana Soap,” led to the recovery of 47,200 pills of the illicit amphetamine drug worth over N1.5 billion concealed within blocks of soap. Captagon, which is notoriously dubbed the ‘Jihadi drug’ for its use in funding extremist activities in conflict zones, was first intercepted in Nigeria by NDLEA in September 2021 at the Apapa port in Lagos. After his arrest, Akinbile claimed he was meant to deliver the consignment in the North.
In another successful interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, no fewer than 3,900,030 tablets of Tramaking 225mg and Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 2,787.40 kilograms and more than N4.6 billion in street value, were recovered from four abandoned consignments at the import shed of the MMIA. Three of the consignments, comprising 900,000 tablets of Tramaking (815.40kg), arrived aboard RwandAir flights from Bangladesh, while a fourth, comprising 3,000,030 tablets of Tapentadol (1,972kg), arrived on Qatar Airways from Amsterdam.
The shipments, which had been placed under close watch after no one showed up to claim them, were formally retrieved after a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other stakeholders on Friday 28th August.
A 31-year-old US-returnee, Sowunmi David Oludotun was on 19th August arrested by NDLEA operatives at Ikate area of Lekki after he showed up to take delivery of 3.350 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis imported from the United Kingdom.
Fireproof safe cracked open in Rivers drug den raid
In Rivers state, NDLEA operatives have raided the notorious Abuja Down/Up area of Port Harcourt where they recovered a fireproof iron safe among other items. When the safe was cracked open with a welding machine on Tuesday 25th August, 237 grams of colorado; 316 grams of cocaine, and 10 grams of heroin were recovered from it.
Three suspects: Oyedele Daniel, 42; Taye Saliu, 36; and Kehinde Saliu, 36, were on Friday 28th August nabbed at Ipele-Idoani road, in Ondo state with a total of 728kg skunk recovered from their truck marked KRE 120 XB. Two other suspects: Uche Joseph, 35, and Godwin Umeh, 21, were arrested at Aponmu forest with 341kg of same substance on Wednesday 26th August.
In Delta state, over 176,000 pills of assorted opioids including tramadol, molly and others were recovered from two interdiction operations in parts of the state between Wednesday 26th and Friday 28th August.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Markaz Littahfizul Quran Wal Islamiyyat, Dadin Kowa, Gombe; Zangina Islamiyyah Alasawa Kurna, Ungogo LGA, Kano; youths at the adolescent lifestyle programme organised by NNPCL in Benin city, Edo state; while the Ondo State Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the State Governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with the Taraba state command of the Agency paying a similar advocacy visit to the State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Ondo, and Delta Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
He also directed them to sustain the momentum against drug traffickers who are desperate to explore every means, including concealment in everyday household items like soap, to move their illicit consignments.
FOLLOW US ON:
The Benue State Police Command has arrested a 500-level student of Fr Moses Adasu University, formerly Benue State University, for allegedly attacking a neighbour with hot water. LawEnforcement
The spokesperson for the command, DSP Peter Aondongu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, August 29, 2026 said that an investigation had commenced to unravel the cause of fighting between the two students.
“Yes, it happened yesterday, Friday, August 28, 2026. From the information I have, both students were staying in the same room and had an issue. The suspect allegedly boiled water, added salt and pepper, and poured the mixture on the victim and then locked her inside,” the PPRO said.
“After some time, people became aware of what had happened and were able to intervene and rescue the victim. She was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment, while the suspect was arrested.
“I don’t have much information yet about the genesis of the disagreement or what led to the incident, but I can confirm that the incident happened. I also understand that both of them are students of the Benue State University.”
Narrating what might have transpired between the two female students, the Students’ Union President, Akighirga Vitalis, who led members of his executive to the hospital, said that Rose explained that there was a disagreement with the suspect identified as Felicia, which allegedly escalated into the violent attack.
Vitalis said that the duo had been living together before disagreements over personal matters began to strain their relationship.
While expressing shock over the condition of the student and condemning the alleged attack, Vitalis described it as “a grave and unacceptable assault on the life and well-being of a fellow student.”
“We are deeply concerned about this incident. The Students’ Union will follow this matter closely until justice prevails,” he said.
The union president assured all that the union would engage relevant authorities and monitor the investigation, as well as any disciplinary process that may arise within the university.
Vitalis said that if the allegations against Felicia are established through due process, the Students’ Union would support the application of appropriate sanctions under the university’s regulations, including expulsion where warranted.
“The Students’ Union will not condone violence or any conduct capable of endangering the life of another student,” Vitalis added.
FOLLOW US ON:
Are Nigerians Better Off? – ADC Challenges Yari Over ₦15.8 Trillion From Tinubu’s Reforms
2027: Tinubu Deserves Re-election, Every Nigerian Should Support Him – Ex-Lawmaker
Tinubu’s Group Consider Begging Peter Obi To Step Down
‘Sleeping Prince’ of Saudi Arabia dies after 20 years in coma
2027: Atiku delays ADC membership card collection amid rumoured Jonathan comeback
How A Class Of 24 Students Produced 2 Presidents, 4 Governors, 2 Ministers, 4 Emirs, 3 Justices, 4 Ambassadors and Other Influential Leaders
-
Crime12 hours agoPHOTOS: Two women, four others arrested as Niger State police smash notorious kidnap syndicate using fake lifts to abduct victims
-
News8 hours ago
Why My FBI, DEA Records Should Remain Secret – Tinubu Tells US Court
-
Crime11 hours ago
Abducted corps members: Kidnappers demand N20m ransom each
-
Crime11 hours ago
PHOTOS: Two suspected female traffickers pose as tenants to abduct three children in Taraba
-
Crime11 hours ago
PHOTOS: Benue varsity student arrested for pouring hot water on roommate
-
News11 hours ago
Tinubu begins three-week leave, jets out to Europe
-
Crime10 hours ago
Alleged cybercrime: DSS suspends Sowore’s case until after 2027 polls
-
Lifestyle11 hours ago
Igbos built Nollywood, but Yorubas have become dominant” — Francis Duru
