By Attah Ede
Police have finally unravelled the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a lifeless male body under the Katampe Bridge along the Kubwa Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday that investigations indicated that the deceased, who had earlier been reported missing, was later discovered to have died in a hotel in Gwarimpa District of Abuja.
According to the commissioner, the victim was last in contact with Ms Rukayat Muhammed of Garki Area II, with whom he was allegedly in a romantic relationship.
CP Sanusi disclosed that the two had lodged at a guest house in Gwarimpa, where the woman allegedly discovered that the man was no longer breathing and left the premises with his phone without reporting the incident.
According to him, the discovery, like several others along highways and bridges in the territory, had created fear and anxiety among residents, with many attributing such incidents to “One Chance” robbery and kidnapping.
He said the body, discovered at about 9:00 a.m. on August 26, was immediately linked by media reports and commentaries to violent crimes, with calls on law enforcement to be more proactive.
“Beyond the media reports, however, there was a family grieving and struggling to understand what had happened to their loved one. Prior to the discovery of the body, his family had reported him missing, and the Command had commenced efforts to establish his whereabouts,” the CP said.
“Through painstaking investigation, operatives confirmed that the deceased was the same person whose disappearance had earlier been reported by his family.
“I consequently resolved that the FCT Police Command would not rest at the discovery of the body or accept assumptions about the circumstances of his death. We commenced a painstaking investigation to unravel what actually happened to the deceased.
“Investigators discovered that the deceased’s mobile phone was missing, which became a significant lead. Although the phone had been switched off, operatives were able to establish the last person with whom the deceased had communicated.
“The trail led to one Mrs Rukayat Muhammed of Garki Area 2, who was found to be in a romantic relationship with the deceased and had saved his contact on her phone under the name ‘Safiyat.’
“Further investigations revealed that the suspect and the deceased had lodged at Good Samaritan Guest House, 2nd Avenue, Gwarimpa, where they spent some time together.
“The suspect informed us that she discovered the deceased was no longer breathing and had died. Rather than immediately reporting the incident to the Police, the suspect took the deceased’s mobile phone and left the hotel,” the CP said.
He added that several hours later, after attempts by the hotel management to contact the occupants proved unsuccessful, access was gained into the room where the lifeless body was found.
“Our investigation revealed that, instead of reporting the discovery to the Police, two members of the hotel management identified as Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus subsequently removed the body from the room and transported it to Kubwa Expressway by Katampe under-bridge, where they dumped it by the roadside, apparently in an attempt to distance the hotel and its management from the incident,” Sanusi disclosed.
The commissioner stressed that the case demonstrated that investigations by the command do not stop at the surface, as operatives followed available leads and traced the last known contacts to establish the connection between the body and events at the hotel.
He, however, clarified that investigations are still ongoing.
“Let me make it clear that investigations are still ongoing. The exact cause and circumstances of the deceased’s death are still under investigation. Other investigative processes are being pursued to determine the full facts of the case. Anyone found to have played a role in the death or subsequent concealment and abandonment of the body will be made to face the law,” he said.
He enjoined members of the public to play their role in crime prevention and investigation, warning those who conceal information or obstruct investigations to desist from doing so.
“Those who, rather than assisting law enforcement, have chosen to conceal information, obstruct investigations or otherwise undermine our efforts should understand that the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with them. The law will take its course,” he warned.
In another development, the Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit has recovered two AK-47 rifles and two magazines during an investigation into a kidnapping syndicate.
Sanusi said a suspect, Musbahu Ishak, led operatives to a hideout in Kagarko Forest, where the weapons were recovered, before the team was ambushed while leaving the area.
He appealed to residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, stressing that security is a collective responsibility.
