Killaboi Tells Court How Instagram Chats With Late Girlfriend Led To Confrontation
What Benjamin Nnayerugo, popularly known as Killaboi, claimed to have discovered while monitoring his girlfriend’s Instagram account became the centre of his testimony in a Lagos courtroom, where he is facing trial over the alleged murder of Augusta Onuwaghagbe.
Appearing before Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Igbosere division, Nnayerugo recounted how conversations he found on the account led him to suspect that Augusta was discussing a sexual encounter in exchange for money.
According to the defendant, the discovery left him emotionally distressed and eventually prompted him to confront her about the messages.
His testimony traced the events back to late June 2023, when a sports bet reportedly went against him, leaving him in a bad mood. He told the court that Augusta tried to encourage him by reminding him that he had previously won larger sums and should not allow the loss to discourage him.
However, her attempts to lift his spirits did little to change how he felt.
Nnayerugo said Augusta was due to return to school and left the following day. After her departure, he continued checking her Instagram account, to which he had access.
He told the court that he noticed conversations between her and accounts belonging to people who were not her friends on the platform. He also claimed that some of the exchanges were subsequently deleted.
At first, the messages did not raise serious concerns in his mind. He described them as conversations about club invitations and enquiries about Augusta’s well-being. He said he monitored the account for approximately a week without finding anything he considered suspicious.
The situation changed when Augusta informed him that she intended to visit Lagos for the weekend. Nnayerugo said he agreed to the plan but intended to log out of her account a day before her arrival to prevent her from discovering that he had been monitoring her conversations. He explained that she sometimes checked his phone when they were together.
Then, a day before the planned visit, he came across a conversation involving an Instagram account identified as “Yako”.
According to his testimony, the account holder addressed Augusta affectionately, explained that he had deactivated his Snapchat account and suggested that they continue communicating on Instagram.
The conversation reportedly moved to arrangements for a visit to Lagos. Nnayerugo told the court that when the sender asked Augusta when she could come, she indicated that she was available whenever he wanted.
He said the exchange subsequently shifted to a discussion about payment, with Augusta reportedly refusing to lower her stated price. The sender then complained about the prolonged conversation and suggested moving to WhatsApp.
For Nnayerugo, that exchange was enough to make him investigate further.
He testified that he took the phone number shared in the conversation and used it to obtain a virtual SIM card. He then created a WhatsApp account using the sender’s name and profile picture, allowing him to continue the conversation while posing as Yako.
During the exchange, he said he asked Augusta to state the price again. She reportedly requested ₦1.5 million.
The defendant claimed he offered ₦800,000, but she rejected the amount, explaining that the arrangement would involve considerable risk on her part.
He then asked whether the proposed meeting would take place in a hotel or an apartment. According to his account, Augusta said either location would be acceptable as long as he provided the address.
Nnayerugo said he increased his offer to ₦1 million, but that amount was also rejected. He eventually agreed to the ₦1.5 million figure she had given.
He further told the court that he suggested having sex without a condom, proposing that they both undergo medical tests beforehand. He claimed Augusta accepted that proposal.
By this point, Nnayerugo said he had become convinced that the conversation concerned sex for payment, although he initially did not fully understand the purpose of the money being discussed.
He described his reaction as one of intense emotional distress, telling the court that he was shaking and felt as though he was experiencing a breakdown.
At one stage, he considered involving a friend to transfer the money and arranging a hotel meeting where he could confront Augusta in person. However, he said he eventually abandoned the plan because he felt there was no need to spend such a large amount to determine whether his girlfriend had been unfaithful.
Instead, he decided to end the relationship and address the messages directly with her.
Nnayerugo told the court that he initiated a video call with Augusta. He claimed she screamed and dropped the phone after seeing him on the screen.
He said he confronted her about the conversations, informed her that he knew what she had been discussing and declared that their relationship was over. He also threatened to tell her mother about what he had found.
The defendant subsequently attempted to contact Augusta’s mother, whom he described as an important figure in their relationship. He told the court that they were close, that she regularly prayed for him and that he sometimes attended her church.
According to his testimony, he made several attempts to reach her over approximately 20 minutes before finally speaking with her. He explained what he had discovered on Augusta’s account and informed her of his decision to end the relationship.
However, the conversation did not go as he expected.
Nnayerugo said Augusta’s mother questioned his decision to access her daughter’s Instagram account, arguing that doing so was wrong and amounted to a criminal offence.
He told the court that her response angered him because he had called to explain the breakup rather than discuss how he obtained access to the account. He said she offered to speak with Augusta, but he maintained that this was not the reason for his call and ended the conversation.
The proceedings later turned to a video recording the defence intended to present in court.
Defence counsel Marcel Oru raised concerns about playing the footage in the presence of Augusta’s mother and brother, saying he did not want to subject the deceased’s relatives to further emotional distress.
He asked Justice Harrison to consider allowing the family members to leave the courtroom while the recording was played, with only the lawyers involved in the case remaining present.
Prosecuting counsel Adebayo Araba did not object to the proposal and described it as a good arrangement.
Oru clarified that the recording had not yet been formally tendered as evidence, stressing that his concern was to avoid causing additional pain to Augusta’s family.
Justice Harrison indicated that the request could be considered if both sides reached an agreement.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until 10:00 a.m. today for the continuation of proceedings.
Nnayerugo’s account forms part of his defence in the murder trial. His testimony about the Instagram and WhatsApp exchanges represents his version of events and does not, by itself, establish the circumstances surrounding Augusta’s death or determine his criminal responsibility. The court will have to assess the evidence presented by both the defence and the prosecution before reaching a verdict.
(Source: Guardian Newspapers)
