Bluetooth Disconnected’: Suspected Cultists’ Coded Slang for Murder

‘Bluetooth Disconnected’: Suspected Cultists’ Coded Slang for Murder

A 19-year-old student walked into what appeared to be an ordinary afternoon on campus.

He had just completed a class test at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and was walking with two female students when a senior student called him over.

The request sounded harmless: he was asked to hand over his power bank.

The two girls continued walking, expecting their friend to join them shortly.

He never did.

What followed, according to police findings and accounts from suspects interviewed by Saturday Tribune, was a chain of events that ended with the disappearance and suspected killing of the first-year Computer Science student, Olamide, whose surname was withheld.

Months later, his remains have still not been found.

The afternoon Olamide disappeared
It was Thursday, February 12, 2026, and the time was around 2:30pm.

Olamide had just finished a test during his first semester at the institution when he encountered several senior students.

Among them was Promise, an HND 2 student who investigators later linked to the Aye Confraternity, also known as the Neo Black Movement.

Promise reportedly called Olamide and asked him for his power bank.

The teenager stopped and went over to the group.

The two female students who had been walking with him continued ahead, apparently assuming that their friend would soon finish the conversation and proceed to his residence.

Unknown to them, that would be the last time they saw him alive.

Investigators later established that Olamide’s iPhone XR was taken from him and that he was placed inside a room in one of the school’s halls.

But he had another, smaller phone.

Before that device was discovered, Olamide managed to call one of the girls he had been walking with.

She was a close friend, and he told her that senior students had arrested him and confined him.

At the time, neither of them appeared to understand how serious the situation was.

Olamide reportedly told her that he would explain everything properly later.

But the senior students soon discovered the second phone.

It was taken from him and switched off.

That night, according to the investigation, Olamide was killed.

His body has never been recovered.
The search begins

When the young student could no longer be reached, his female friend became concerned.

She contacted the school authorities, who reported his disappearance to the police at Sango Police Station.

Promise was also taken to the station for questioning.

The case was later transferred to the Anti-Cultism Unit on February 20, and investigators began digging into what had happened to the missing student.

At first, Promise reportedly rejected the suggestion that he belonged to a cult group.

He also denied knowing anything about Olamide’s disappearance.

Then investigators searched his residence.

Inside one of his files, they reportedly found an Award of Excellence identifying Promise as the “Chief Butcher” of the Aye Confraternity.

That discovery changed the direction of the investigation.

Promise subsequently admitted his membership of the group and acknowledged having information concerning Olamide’s disappearance.

The police raid

The investigation eventually led police to other suspected members of the group.

According to DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the Police Public Relations Officer, intelligence gathered by the Anti-Cultism Unit led to a coordinated operation on April 29.

The operation was carried out within The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where the suspects were reportedly preparing for a cult meeting at a location known as Four Pillars.

Several weapons and other items were recovered.

Police listed two locally made cut-to-size guns, two English pistols, 16 live cartridges, four axes and assorted charms among the items seized.

The police also said preliminary investigations showed that some of those arrested were already on the command’s watchlist over suspected involvement in murder and cult-related activities.

Those arrested included Pelumi, popularly known as Lumi; Sunday, also called Wise; Gbenga; Olamilekan; Israel; Azeez, identified as the immediate past Number One; and Abiola.

But as investigators questioned the suspects individually, a disturbing picture began to emerge.

A dispute involving a girl

Investigators learned that Promise had accused Olamide of belonging to the rival Eiye confraternity.

But there was another possible layer to the dispute.

Reports gathered by Saturday Tribune indicated that Promise had a personal grievance against Olamide.

He reportedly believed the younger student was becoming close to a 19-year-old girl whom he himself had previously approached.

The girl reportedly regarded Promise as an older brother and called him “Uncle Promise.”

Then, on the day Olamide was killed, Promise allegedly sent her two emojis — one expressing anger and another associated with crying.

The message frightened her.

She asked what the emojis meant.

Promise reportedly told her not to worry and said he would see her at school the following day.

According to the investigation, he never did.

The coded language

One of the most disturbing aspects of the case was the alleged use of coded expressions among members of the group.

Israel, one of the suspects, reportedly told police that he and four other members had been instructed to take Olamide away from the school.

Gbenga, who occupied the Number Two position in the group, reportedly provided his Lexus SUV, which was used to transport the student.

According to the investigation, those involved in the attack shouted “Aye Axe Men” as Olamide was being attacked with an axe.

Another suspect, Olamilekan, who described himself as the group’s Number One, gave investigators a different account.

He acknowledged being an Aye member and said he knew some members were involved in killings, although he maintained that he stayed away from such activities.

He claimed that his financial support for the group was one reason members did not want him to leave.

According to his account, he later heard from another member named Fred that an Eiye member had been identified and that there had been discussion about killing him.

Olamilekan said he opposed the idea because he feared it would lead to retaliation.

He then went home.

At about 8pm, he said, a message appeared on the group’s WhatsApp platform.

The words were:

“Bluetooth disconnected.”

Olamilekan told Saturday Tribune that the expression was used as coded language to indicate that an Eiye member had been killed.

He contacted Fred, worried that the person being discussed might be Olamide.

His fear was reportedly confirmed.

Olamilekan said he confronted Fred, but by then, there was nothing he could do.

The Number Two suspect

Gbenga, 30, was an HND 1 Public Administration student and reportedly occupied the group’s Number Two position.

He admitted belonging to the Aye Confraternity.

He said he was introduced to the group in 2025 by someone he referred to as a “street brother.”

According to his account, he was taken into a bush with two other people under the impression that they were going to attend a night event.

Instead, he said, they were initiated into the cult group.

He described being beaten during the initiation and said his thumb was cut before he was made to lick his own blood.

He was subsequently given the name “Nelson Mandela,” which he described as a strong name associated with the freedom fighter.

Gbenga said he initially served as an “Ihaza”, a role that involved collecting money from members under the explanation that it was for school fees.
He said members contributed N5,000 annually.

He later rose to Number Two, a position he described as that of a peacemaker.

What did he know about Olamide?

Gbenga admitted that he was at the Four Pillars area of the school on the day Olamide disappeared.

He said he was sitting some distance away when members brought a student into a hall.

Later that evening, he said, a meeting took place.

Afterwards, Fred reportedly told him about a party they were supposedly going to attend.

Gbenga said he later went with another member, Scott, to play snooker.

But there was an important detail.

Fred had earlier taken the key to Gbenga’s Lexus.

Gbenga said he was told the vehicle was needed to transport people from the school to play snooker.

He eventually got his key back and went home.

It was there, he said, that he saw another message on the group’s platform.

The message said that “a shirt has been delivered.”

Gbenga explained that members understood the phrase to mean that an Eiye member had been killed.

He said he saw the message at approximately 8:30pm.

However, he denied knowing beforehand that Olamide would be the victim.

He also denied personally participating in the killing.

Gbenga said he only learned that Olamide was the person involved roughly two weeks later, after seeing social-media reports about a missing Polytechnic student.

He also maintained that his vehicle had not previously been used to transport victims for cult killings.

Despite admitting membership of the group, he claimed he had been forced into it.

Israel’s account

Israel, 26, was an HND 1 Electrical and Electronics Engineering student.

He admitted belonging to the Aye Confraternity and said he joined in 2024 toward the end of his ND2.

According to him, a deceased member known as Bobby introduced him to the group.

He said his initiation occurred around Alaro, along the Sango-Eleyele Road, after he and two others were taken there from school.

Israel said the men involved were armed.

He maintained that they had no real choice because guns were being displayed during the initiation.

He also confirmed that his finger was cut during the process.

He later became what he described as a “member of council.”

But his account of February 12 would become particularly important to investigators.

Israel said members had gathered at the school for a meeting when Promise and another member, Rasaki, also known as RSK, reportedly raised concerns about Olamide.

They allegedly said the student’s phone had been searched and that he was suspected of belonging to Eiye.

There was also an accusation that he had been sending photographs of Aye members to people associated with the rival group.

Israel said the issue was taken to senior members.

According to his account, the initial instruction was that Olamide should be released.

But that did not happen.

Instead, Israel said he later found himself inside a vehicle with Olamide and several other members.

The vehicle reportedly left the school at around 7pm.

Israel said the group claimed they were taking Olamide toward his residence so he could be dropped off.

The vehicle eventually stopped at an undisclosed location.

Fred reportedly got out and ordered Olamide to leave the vehicle.

Israel said Mourinho and Abass, also known as Order, followed Fred away with the student.

Israel briefly stepped out because he wanted to know what was happening.
The men later returned.

Everyone was reportedly told to leave.
Then, according to Israel, Fred made a statement that he understood as a coded admission of the killing.

He reportedly said in Yoruba that he had seen a “penalty” and taken it.

Israel interpreted the statement as meaning that Fred had found an Eiye member and killed him.

He also said Fred returned carrying an axe.

Israel claimed that both Fred and Mourinho were holding axes.

But he said he did not challenge them because of the hierarchy within the group.

According to Israel, Fred was Number Three and served as chairman, a position he regarded as more powerful than Number One.

Abiola’s story

Another suspect, 24-year-old Abiola, was an HND II student.

He said he joined the Aye Confraternity in 2025.

His involvement, according to his account, began after he experienced academic difficulties.

He said he was struggling with failed courses during ND2 and also faced problems securing admission into HND1.

Someone introduced him to people who claimed they could help him resolve those problems.

He said he initially did not know they were cult members.

His relationship with them deepened until he eventually became involved in the group.

Abiola described himself as an errand boy who was regularly sent to purchase items whenever members needed something.

He said he was later taken somewhere under the impression that he was attending a party, only to discover that the real purpose was his initiation.

He claimed that he agreed because he felt he had no choice.

On Olamide’s case, Abiola admitted that Fred called him to see the student.

Members reportedly told him that Olamide was an Eiye member and an ND1 Computer Science student.

But Abiola denied participating in the killing.

He said he later learned that a student had died after seeing reports circulating on social media.

Afeez and Sunday deny involvement
Afeez, another suspect, also admitted belonging to the Aye fraternity.

But he denied taking part in Olamide’s killing.

He said he was not present and claimed he only became aware of the alleged murder when police officers questioned him.

He also denied knowing about any announcement concerning the killing on the group’s communication platform.

Twenty-four-year-old Sunday gave a similar denial.

He admitted membership of Aye but said he joined in 2025 while completing his ND in Public Administration.

According to him, members lured him to a location inside the Polytechnic before taking him to their camp.

He said he once served as a “Crier,” a role that involved posting information about parties and gatherings on the group’s platform.

That position ended after his phone developed a fault.

He said members interpreted the problem as a sign that he was no longer committed and removed him from the position.

Sunday maintained that he knew nothing about Olamide’s killing.

He said he only heard about it after arrests began and claimed that he was concentrating on his school clearance and collecting his certificate around the time.

Lumi’s admission

Pelumi, better known as Lumi, also admitted belonging to the Aye Confraternity.

He said he joined in 2021 while living around Agbowo.

Lumi denied participating directly in any killing.

However, investigators questioned him about another cult-related murder in Awotan, Apete, in October 2025.

He acknowledged being inside a vehicle with Aye members who went to the location but maintained that he did not participate in the attack.

According to Lumi, a member known as Machiavelli, who was familiar with the Apete area, directed the group to the location.

He identified two other men, Akube and Afo, as senior figures who were reportedly involved.

Lumi claimed Akube called the victim out while Akube and Afo were carrying firearms.

He further alleged that the two men shot the victim, whom the group believed belonged to Eiye.

Lumi described the incident as retaliation linked to an earlier attack in which he said Machiavelli had narrowly survived being shot by Eiye members.

Another murder linked to the feud
The Awotan incident was not the only previous killing investigators examined.

In October 2025, Tribuneonline reported the killing of 27-year-old Ukpene Michael.

Michael was shot in broad daylight along Apete-Akufo Road at Awotan while passersby and commercial motorcyclists were nearby.

According to that report, three suspected Black Axe members were involved.

One of them reportedly used an axe to cut Michael’s right hand at the wrist before the attackers fled in a Lexus SUV.

Investigators linked the attack to retaliation following the alleged killing of an Aye member by Eiye members around Monatan.

Michael was believed to be associated with Eiye.

About six months later, another man, 35-year-old Idris, also known as Satio, was attacked around Morubo.

He had been returning from a friend’s baby-naming ceremony at approximately 7:30pm on April 17 when cultists suspected to belong to Eiye reportedly attacked him.

His body was found the next day on a road beside a bush path leading toward Ologuneru and the Railway area along Apete-Akufo Road.

He had suffered deep injuries to his head.

Idris was reportedly a Mechanical Engineering graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and was believed to have previously belonged to Aye while he was a student.

The man known as Akube

Lumi also gave investigators information about a man known as Akube, whose real name was Kehinde, surname withheld.

According to further findings, Kehinde was not a University of Ibadan student but had allegedly risen to a leadership position within the cult network.

His name had reportedly surfaced in an earlier murder investigation.

A CCTV recording allegedly captured him and other suspects shooting a boutique and barbing-salon owner at a filling station in Alakia, Ibadan, on August 15, 2024.

The victim was also suspected of having links to Eiye.

Olamide’s phone

When investigators questioned Lumi specifically about Olamide’s disappearance, he continued to deny involvement in the killing.

But he admitted something significant.

He said he personally examined Olamide’s phone after it had been taken from the student.

Lumi claimed he saw material he interpreted as “PF Eiye”, which he understood as being connected to the rival confraternity.

He insisted that he was not among the group’s most powerful members and did not have the authority to challenge decisions made by senior figures.

What happened to Olamide?

Despite the accounts given by the suspects, one major question remains unanswered:

Where is Olamide’s body?

Police have arrested several people and recovered weapons, but the remains of the 19-year-old student have yet to be located.

Fred, described as the Number Three member and alleged “butcher”, remains at large alongside other suspects.

Promise, who was the first suspect arrested in connection with the disappearance, has been charged before a court and remanded in a custodial centre.

The conflicting accounts from the suspects also leave investigators with several issues to resolve, particularly the exact roles played by each person and what happened after Olamide was taken away from the Polytechnic.

A wider cult crackdown

The investigation into Olamide’s disappearance is happening against the backdrop of a broader series of cult-related arrests across Oyo State.

In February, the Anti-Cultism Unit arrested three suspected cult members at The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic.

They were identified as Oluwafemi, said to belong to Eiye, and Azeez and Oladimeji, who were linked to Alora.

The operation reportedly followed information obtained from another suspect, David, who was accused of being an Eiye member.

Police said David had transported the body of another Eiye member, Ridwan, to a hospital after Ridwan was shot during a clash between rival groups on January 7 inside the institution.

The operation was reportedly carried out with the knowledge of the school’s management after authorities petitioned the Commissioner of Police over fears of further clashes and retaliation.

Another operation at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, also took place in February.

Sango Division officers arrested Opeyemi, 31, also known as Aiki, and 29-year-old Olaniyan, known as Bojan.

Both were residents of Apete and reportedly admitted belonging to Eiye during interrogation.

Police recovered a locally made double-barrel pistol, two live cartridges and a black bag containing charms.

Investigators said the pair were linked to suspected cult clashes within the institution and that efforts were continuing to identify and arrest other members.

In June, police arrested two more suspected cultists, 28-year-old Bukola and 24-year-old Caleb.

They were stopped along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway while travelling in a Lexus ES 350.

Police said both men were already on a watchlist over alleged cult-related activities in Ogbomoso and surrounding areas.

The vehicle reportedly contained three axes, a cutlass, a hammer, two laptop computers, two iPhones, a Samsung phone and substances suspected to be hard drugs.

Then, in July, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested 11 suspected Eiye members around Under-G, Yuako and Adenike.

Police said the suspects were all students of LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, and were allegedly planning attacks within the student community.

They were identified as Victor, 24; Rasheed, 22; Isaac, 20; Segundo, 26; Julius, 26; Opeyemi, 24; Abel, 22; Ayodeji, 22; Oladimeji, 32; Moses, 28; and Kalid, 20.

Four locally fabricated cut-to-size pistols, 11 live cartridges, one expended cartridge, two cult axes, a cutlass, a dagger and a red cult hooded cap were reportedly recovered.

DSP Olayinka Ayanlade said the operatives received commendation from Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Ayodeji Abimbola for their actions.

The police command said it remained committed to tackling cultism and violent crime across the state.

But for Olamide’s family, the broader crackdown does not answer the most painful question.

A 19-year-old student left campus after a test on February 12.
He was reportedly taken into confinement.

He never returned home.

And months later, despite arrests, interrogations and the recovery of weapons, his family is still waiting to recover his remains and learn exactly what happened to him.

(Source: Nigerian Tribune)