A Lagos High Court, sitting at the JIC Taylor Courthouse in Igbosere, has adjourned proceedings to May 21 and 22 for the continued cross-examination of Cordelia Onuwaghagbe, the mother of 21-year-old Augusta Onuwaghagbe, who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Benjamin Nnayereugo, also known as Killaboi.
The cross-examination, led by the defendant’s counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Marcel Oru, began on Wednesday, April 21, and continued the following day. During Thursday’s session, Mrs. Onuwaghagbe, 56, responded to several questions before Justice Ibironke Harrison.
She recounted being contacted by a man claiming to be the defendant’s father soon after Nnayereugo’s arrest in Sierra Leone. The caller invited her to meet with the family to resolve the matter, but she declined, stating she would only consider discussions after Killaboi’s extradition to Nigeria.
Mrs. Onuwaghagbe also testified that she was in communication with the defendant after her daughter’s death and received $1,530 from him. She added that Nnayereugo had opened a cryptocurrency account for Augusta with her own funds before her death. However, she said she was unaware of any money sent by the defendant for Augusta’s burial.
The hearing was interrupted due to a power outage, which prevented the defense from presenting electronic evidence.
Nnayereugo is accused of killing Augusta at his residence in Ajah, Lagos, on July 13, 2023, and fleeing the country. He was declared wanted by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in October 2023, with INTERPOL issuing a Red Notice for his arrest. After being apprehended in Sierra Leone under a false identity and escaping during a prison break in November 2023, he reportedly evaded authorities across various countries, eventually relocating to Doha, Qatar, in January 2025.
His identity was later confirmed through international cooperation and biometric verification, leading to his arrest in Qatar in February 2025 and extradition to Nigeria in April 2025. In June 2025, the Lagos State Government filed a two-count charge against him, including murder and alleged indecent interference with the victim’s corpse. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in November 2025.
