A quiet Sunday morning in the Magodo Phase 2 area of Lagos turned into a scene of horror on December 4, 2016, when a young man allegedly attacked his parents at their family residence on 11 Ibitayo Street.
The suspect, identified as Babalola Rotimi Junior, was accused of killing his father, Babalola Rotimi Snr, 59, and severely injuring his mother, Adijat Rotimi, in what investigators described as a premeditated assault.
According to reports, Rotimi Junior had purchased two knives from a nearby Shoprite outlet the day before the attack.
In the early hours of that Sunday, he reportedly confronted his father as the older man was heading to the bathroom. During the encounter, he allegedly forced him to lie face down before stabbing him repeatedly in the back and neck.
The commotion attracted the attention of his mother, who rushed to the scene after hearing the struggle. She was also attacked and sustained multiple stab wounds, including injuries to her cheek and eye. She was later rushed to hospital where she remained in a coma.
Investigators said that after carrying out the attack, the suspect allegedly took time to shower and change clothes before leaving the house with his father’s mobile phones and ATM cards.
He reportedly proceeded to his father’s filling station where he demanded money from the station manager.
Following the incident, Rotimi Junior went into hiding and was declared wanted by the police.
However, authorities eventually tracked him down through a carefully coordinated operation. According to sources, he contacted a relative in Ireland claiming that kidnappers had killed his parents and abducted him, demanding a ransom of ₦500,000.
Working with the family, the police agreed to stage the ransom payment. When the suspect appeared at the agreed location to collect the money, he was arrested by officers waiting at the scene.
Later in December 2016, Rotimi Junior was arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge bordering on murder and attempted murder.
In his confessional statement, he reportedly claimed that his parents were planning to use him for rituals and black magic to acquire wealth, a claim investigators treated with skepticism.
Family sources and authorities also pointed to a history of drug abuse during his time in Ireland, as well as possible mental health concerns following his deportation to Nigeria.
Under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, anyone convicted of murder faces the death penalty. As of the latest available updates in 2026, the suspect remains in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service after being remanded at the Ikoyi custodial facility while legal proceedings continue.