Mysteries Naija

Episoder

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  Nigerian Kidnappings That Never Happened 14.09.2026 30min

  They disappeared. Their families panicked. Then came the ransom demand. Except there was one problem. Some of these people allegedly had never been kidnapped. In Nigeria, police have uncovered cases where people allegedly staged their own abductions, recruited friends or relatives to play kidnappers, recorded fake distress videos and demanded money from the very families who were desperately trying to save them. In some cases, ransom was actually paid before the truth came out. In this episode, we look at some of the strangest Nigerian kidnapping cases that turned out to be something completely different, and how investigators discovered that the people everyone thought were victims had been part of the deception.Listener discretion is advised.
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  Mysteries Naija Special: She Grants Favors, Then You Belong To Her — The Mystery of Mami Wata 10.09.2026 27min

  Mami Wata is one of the most famous and feared water spirits in Africa. Beautiful woman. Long hair. Snakes around her body. Wealth, healing and good fortune on one side, sickness, misfortune and death on the other. Across Nigeria, especially in the southeast, stories of mysterious encounters with water spirits have existed for generations. Some people believe Mami Wata can change a person's life, make them wealthy, heal them or choose them for a spiritual calling. Others believe that accepting her gifts comes with a price. But where did Mami Wata actually come from? Why is she connected to wealth, beauty, snakes and the water? And how did an image of a European snake goddess become intertwined with much older African beliefs about water spirits?In this episode, we go into the history, beliefs, encounters and mysteries surrounding Mami Wata, and the strange relationship between the woman people say lives beneath the water and the humans who claim to have encountered her.Listener discretion is advised.
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  She Risked It All To Rescue Her "Maid" — Monique Pearls (Monica Owunaka) 08.09.2026 40min

  Monique Pearls, born Monica Oma Owunaka, was a 30-year-old Nigerian content creator whose life revolved around family, motherhood and the people she cared for.But behind the content was a story involving a young girl named Precious, family conflict, and events that would later become difficult to ignore.Then, in May 2026, Monique suddenly died.In this episode, we look at Monica Owunaka’s story, the events surrounding Precious, her final days, and the questions that remain.Her family has not publicly disclosed her cause of death.Listener discretion is advised.
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  108 Passengers Die At An Airport On A 1-Hour Domestic Flight (Sosoliso Airline Crash) 05.09.2026 20min

  On December 10, 2005, Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 left Abuja for Port Harcourt carrying families, adults, and dozens of students from Loyola Jesuit College. The flight never landed at its destination. What happened at Port Harcourt International Airport would become one of Nigeria's most devastating aviation disasters. Among the passengers were 61 Loyola students, remembered by their school community as the “60 Angels.” Only one of those students survived: Kechi Okwuchi. In this episode, we go back to the final moments of Sosoliso Flight 1145, the crash, the desperate aftermath, and the lives forever changed by what happened that December afternoon.Listener discretion is advised.
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  7-Year-Old Orphan Left To Raise Herself For 3 Years (Affiong Sunday) 01.09.2026 41min

  A child should never have to figure out how to survive on their own. But at just 7 years old, Affiong Sunday was left to fend for herself, beginning a three-year period in which she had to navigate life without the care and protection a child should have been able to depend on. The story eventually reached Lucky Udu, whose intervention brought Affiong's situation to the attention of a much wider audience. In this episode, we go back to where Affiong's story began, what happened during those three years, how her situation was discovered, and the people who eventually stepped in.Listener discretion is advised.
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  "Let's Do It Again" Terrorists Abduct 110 Schoolgirls (The Dapchi Girls) 29.08.2026 26min

  Just four years after 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted, another Nigerian school became the scene of a mass kidnapping. On February 19, 2018, Boko Haram terrorists stormed the Government Girls' Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, and took 110 schoolgirls. Parents waited for answers. Authorities gave conflicting information. The country watched another group of schoolgirls disappear, wondering if Nigeria was about to witness another Chibok. In this episode, we follow the Dapchi girls' abduction and the chaotic aftermath.Listener discretion is advised.
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  276 Schoolgirls Abducted By Terrorists For Marriage (The Chibok Girls) 26.08.2026 46min

  The girls had been preparing for their final examinations when Boko Haram fighters stormed the school, set buildings on fire and forced the students into waiting trucks. Some managed to escape before they were taken into captivity. For the others, the journey led deep into the forest. Then the world learned what had happened. #BringBackOurGirls became a global campaign. Governments got involved. Negotiations began. Some girls escaped. Others were rescued or released. And for the families whose daughters never returned, the waiting continued. In this episode, we go back to the night the Chibok girls were kidnapped, what happened to the girls who escaped, what those who returned endured, and the years of searching for those who are still missing. More than a decade later, this isn't just a story about an abduction that shocked Nigeria. For some families, it is still happening.Listener discretion is advised.
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  “Your Baby Died and Scattered” — Did My Doctor Steal My Twin? (Eunice Bright Ekwok) 23.08.2026 50min

  After giving birth by C-section at a maternity clinic in Abuja, Eunice Bright Ekwok woke up to find that she had been given only one baby. She was told her other child had died during delivery. But Eunice couldn't let it go. Months later, she says she saw a baby with the wife of the doctor who delivered her. The child was around the same age as her own baby, and something about him made her question everything she'd been told. What followed turned into a years-long fight involving Eunice and her husband, an Abuja doctor, the police, court proceedings and one question that should have been simple to answer: whose child is this? In this episode, we follow Eunice Bright Ekwok's missing-twin case, from the pregnancy and delivery to the discovery that reignited her suspicions and the battle for the DNA test that could settle the mystery.Listener discretion is advised.
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  1,500 Brides. 1,500 Grooms. One Government-Funded Wedding (Kano 2026 Mass Wedding) 21.08.2026 24min

  On August 7, 2026, Kano State brought together 1,500 brides and 1,500 grooms for its annual government-backed mass wedding programme, known as Auren Gata. The state provided dowries, household items and financial support to help the couples begin their new lives. Among the newlyweds were widows, divorcees and young women who could not afford the traditional cost of marriage. And behind it all was a government programme costing billions of naira and attracting thousands of applicants. In this episode, we look at Kano's 2026 mass wedding, why the government is paying for thousands of marriages, who the programme is designed to help, and the very different lives of the people who walked in as strangers and left as married couples.Listener discretion is advised.
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  “I Just Want To Die” Says Killer Boyfriend Pleading Not Guilty (Augusta Osedion Part 2) 17.08.2026 31min

  The first episode ended with Augusta Osedion dead inside her boyfriend's apartment and Killaboi gone. After Augusta Osedion's body was discovered, Killaboi disappeared from Nigeria. For months, the case continued to unfold online as questions grew about what happened between the couple and what led to Augusta's death. Eventually, Killaboi was arrested and brought back to Nigeria. Now, the story has moved from Instagram posts and public outrage to a courtroom. In this episode, we follow what happened after Augusta's death: Killaboi's disappearance, his arrest and extradition.Listener discretion is advised.
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  He Said He'd "Mistakenly" Stabbed His Girlfriend Then Confessed Online (Augusta Osedion Part 1) 15.08.2026 40min

  In July 2023, 21-year-old Augusta Osedion had an argument with her boyfriend, Benjamin Best Nnayereugo, better known online as Killaboi. Then Augusta stopped answering her family's calls. What followed was a search that ended inside her boyfriend's apartment in Ajah, Lagos, where police discovered her decomposing body while Killaboi fled Nigeria. In this episode, we trace Augusta Osedion's relationship with Killaboi, the days surrounding her disappearance, the discovery that shocked her family.Listener discretion is advised.
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  He Sold A Fake Airport For $242 Million — and They Actually Paid Him (Emmanuel Nwude) 12.08.2026 21min

  What if someone offered you a chance to invest in a brand-new airport in Nigeria's capital?Now imagine discovering the airport didn't exist.In the 1990s, Nigerian businessman and former Union Bank director Emmanuel Nwude convinced Nelson Sakaguchi, a director at Brazil's Banco Noroeste, that Abuja was getting a new airport. Nwude used a false identity and a completely fictitious project to orchestrate a fraud worth $242 million, making it one of the most notorious banking scams (419) in Nigerian history. Listener discretion is advised.
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  The Most Hated Family in Nigeria and What They Did to Ochanya (Ochanya Ogbanje) 08.08.2026 48min

  Ochanya Ogbanje lived through something no child should ever have experienced.At just seven years old, her life was allegedly placed in the hands of people who were supposed to protect her. Years later, Ochanya was dead, and the circumstances surrounding her life and death would trigger outrage across Nigeria. What happened inside that family? How did a child endure years of suffering without being protected? And why did the case become one of Nigeria's most controversial stories of child sexual abuse, exploitation and justice?In this episode, we follow Ochanya Ogbanje's story, the people at the centre of it, and the events that eventually brought the case into the public eye.Some stories are difficult to hear.This is one of them.Listener discretion is strongly advised.
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  Young Bride Murders Husband Just 9 Days After Their Wedding (Saudat Jibril) 05.08.2026 14min

  Nine days. That was all the time Saudat Jibril and her husband had as a married couple before their marriage ended tragically. According to investigators, Saudat Jibril slit her newly wedded husband's throat inside their home, sending shockwaves through the community. The case quickly became one of Nigeria's most disturbing newlywed murder cases, raising questions about what could have happened behind closed doors in less than two weeks of marriage.How does a marriage last only nine days before ending in murder? And were there warning signs that everyone missed?Listener discretion is strongly advised.
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  25-Year-Old Model Tortured to Death by Friends Over a Stolen iPhone 12 Accusation (Ibrahim Mbaya) 03.08.2026 22min

  At just 25 years old, Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya was accused of stealing an iPhone 12. Instead of being handed over to the police, he was allegedly held captive, brutally tortured by people he knew, and beaten for hours. By the time the violence stopped, Ibrahim was dead.The case sparked outrage across Nigeria, raising serious questions about jungle justice, mob violence, and why accusations continue to replace due process.In this episode, we reconstruct the Ibrahim Pilasar Mbaya case from the beginning. We examine the events leading to the theft accusation, how a group of friends allegedly became his executioners, and the calls for justice from a community left in shock.How does an allegation of stealing a phone end with a young man's death? And why does jungle justice continue to claim lives across Nigeria?Listener discretion is strongly advised.
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  Husband Stabbed 44 Times by His Wife (Maryam Sanda) 31.07.2026 33min

  A young couple. A high-profile family. A marriage that ended in one of Nigeria's most shocking homicide cases.In November 2017, Bilyaminu Bello was stabbed 44 times inside his Abuja home. His wife, Maryam Sanda, was arrested, charged with murder. The case drew nationwide attention, not only because of the brutality of the killing, but because it raised difficult conversations about domestic violence, toxic relationships, privilege, and justice.In this episode, we retrace the final hours before Bilyaminu Bello's death, the conviction of Maryam Sanda, the appeals that followed, and why the case remains one of the most discussed murder trials in Nigerian history.Was there warning signs before the tragedy? What really happened inside their home that night? And why does the case still divide opinions years later?Listener discretion is advised.
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  Mysteries Naija Special: The Legend of The Woman in The Red High Heel (Madam Koi Koi) 27.07.2026 18min

  There are stories Nigerian students have heard for generations.A woman in red heel.The sound of koi... koi... koi... echoing through an empty school corridor.And if you hear those footsteps coming closer, you're supposed to shut your eyes tighter than ever.They call her Madam Koi Koi, the ghost said to haunt Nigerian boarding schools, appearing late at night and terrifying students who cross her path. Some say she was a teacher fired, betrayed, or killed.But where did the legend actually come from?In this episode, we go beyond the familiar red shoe and the whispered warnings to explore the origins of the Madam Koi Koi legend, the different versions of her story, possible real-life inspirations, and why generations of Nigerian students continue to tell the same terrifying story.Was Madam Koi Koi ever a real person?Or did Nigeria create its own perfect school ghost story?You decide.Listener discretion is advised.
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  One Murder. One Facebook Comment. One Innocent Student in Jail (Theodore Awoh & Uwaila Omozuwa) 25.07.2026 54min

  A young university student went to church to study for her exams. She never made it home.As Nigeria mourned Uwaila Omozuwa, anger spread across social media. Millions wanted justice. Then one Facebook comment changed another student's life forever.Theodore Awoh, a fellow UNIBEN student, suddenly found himself at the centre of a nationwide manhunt after internet users linked him to a controversial Facebook account. Overnight, he went from an ordinary student to a man many believed was connected to one of Nigeria's most heartbreaking crimes.How did one viral comment lead to an innocent student being arrested? In this episode, we reconstruct the Uwaila Omozuwa case, the Facebook comment that ignited a digital witch-hunt, Theodore Awoh's ordeal, and the events that eventually led investigators to the real killer.This isn't just the story of a murder. It's a story about grief, outrage, online justice, and what happens when millions of people decide someone is guilty before the facts catch up.Listener discretion is advised.
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  "She's Too Ugly To Be R*ped" — The Internet's Sickest Reaction (Favor Agbro) 20.07.2026 34min

  She was only 20 years old.Favour Agbro, a nursing student from Delta State, believed she was travelling to Asaba for an opportunity to learn content creation and grow her online career. Instead, her journey ended in tragedy.Before her death, Favour recorded a heartbreaking video in which she described what she alleged had happened to her after meeting a locally popular content creator known as Odogwu of Asaba. The video spread rapidly across Nigeria, sparking outrage, calls for justice, and a police investigation. Authorities later arrested Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu of Asaba, over allegations of rape in connection with the case. He remains entitled to the presumption of innocence while the legal process continues. In this episode, we reconstruct the timeline from the online messages that led Favour to Asaba, to her final video, the police investigation, and the public reaction that followed.This is more than a crime story. It's a story about trust, influence, trauma, and the devastating consequences when a dream becomes a nightmare.Listener discretion is advised.
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  Mysteries Naija Traila 16.07.2026

  Some stories refuse to stay buried.From chilling murders and unsolved disappearances to fraud, cults, corruption, urban legends, and the mysteries that have haunted Nigeria for decades, Mysteries Naija takes you beyond the headlines and into the stories that still leave questions unanswered.This is more than true crime. It's a journey into Nigeria's darkest mysteries, where every episode uncovers new evidence, forgotten details, and the human stories at the heart of every case.🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.