The Kogi State Police Command has arrested previously convicted individuals linked to the murder of a fresh graduate of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and recovered his stolen tricycle. In a Tuesday statement signed by ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, the suspects were arrested following a “well-coordinated,…...
The Kogi State Police Command has arrested previously convicted individuals linked to the murder of a fresh graduate of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and recovered his stolen tricycle.
In a Tuesday statement signed by ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, the suspects were arrested following a “well-coordinated, intelligence-led operation.”
According to the statement, the victim, identified as Aminu Abubakar, is a resident of the Otokiti area of Lokoja, who had recently graduated and was awaiting mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps.
The statement revealed that the victim, on the 18th of March, left home on his tricycle in search of daily earnings but never returned, prompting concern from his family before his lifeless body was later discovered within the vicinity of the Zone 8 Central Bank of Nigeria area located in Lokoja.
The statement reads, “In a decisive breakthrough against violent crime, the Kogi State Police Command has successfully dismantled a deadly criminal operation, leading to the arrest of notorious suspects involved in a gruesome case of culpable homicide and armed robbery, as well as the recovery of stolen tricycles and motorcycles through a well-coordinated, intelligence-led operation.
“On 18th March, 2026, the Command received a report regarding a case of culpable homicide involving one Aminu Abubakar, a resident of the Otokiti area of Lokoja, who lived with his family. The victim, a recent graduate of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University awaiting call-up for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), had left home on the morning of the said date on his tricycle in search of daily earnings but never returned, prompting concern from his family before his lifeless body was later discovered within the vicinity of the CBN area, Zone 8, Lokoja.”
Acting swiftly on the report, the statement disclosed that operatives of the Homicide Unit, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), launched a discreet investigation, deploying both intelligence and tactical resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The statement added, “The sustained investigative efforts led to the arrest of two suspects, namely Garba Godwin Ibrahim and Ashema Usman Samson.
“Investigation revealed that the suspects posed as construction workers and deceitfully lured the victim to a secluded location around the same area where his body was later found, where they attacked him with a shovel. Autopsy results confirmed that the victim sustained multiple severe blows to the back of the head with the blunt end of the shovel, resulting in extensive skull fractures and fatal intracranial injuries. The suspects admitted that the act was premeditated and carried out with the intention of dispossessing the victim of his tricycle.”
The statement further reads, “In a further breakthrough, the suspects were found to have carted away the victim’s tricycle and sold the same to one Kabiru Idris of Ayingba. Acting on this lead, operatives extended the investigation, leading to his arrest. A search conducted at his residence resulted in the recovery of the victim’s tricycle, alongside four (4) other motorcycles suspected to have been stolen. The suspect admitted to having ongoing dealings with the two suspects and further admitted to receiving stolen items from other criminal elements involved in armed robbery activities.”
The statement also revealed that the suspects identified as Garba Godwin Ibrahim and Ashema Usman Samson are ex-convicts previously convicted for cases of armed robbery and culpable homicide.
“Investigation further revealed that the two principal suspects, Garba Godwin Ibrahim and Ashema Usman Samson, are ex-convicts previously convicted for cases of armed robbery and culpable homicide, in which they were linked to the deaths of over sixteen (16) persons. Investigation into the case has been concluded, and the suspects have been charged in the Magistrate Court 5, Lokoja, where they have been remanded in custody,” the statement revealed.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, has commended the operatives for their diligence and professionalism, and assures the public of the Command’s commitment to rid the State of criminals.
He urges residents to remain vigilant and continue to support the Police with timely and credible information.
