AISHA ABUBAKAR
Police operatives from the Niger State Command have arrested a 26-year old man, Nuhu Mohammed and his friend, Sani Usman, 22, for allegedly conspiring and strangling his neighbour’s 14-year old girl, Ubaida Surajo, in order to punish her mother.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Izom town in Gurara Local Government Area of the State, where the suspect, Nuhu, is a tenant in the same compound with the parents of the deceased, Ubaida Surajo.
According to Police sources, the late Ubaida was murdered on 5th June, 2023, by the two suspects at her parents’ residence after returning from school when no member of the family was at home. Nuhu reportedly solicited the help of his friend, Sani and carried out the dastardly act.
The murder of the innocent girl was said to be as a result of an argument that ensued earlier between the mother of the deceased and Nuhu in the compound after she accused him of stealing her N90,000.
To avenge for the allegation, Nuhu was said to have invited his friend, Sani, that same day as they both attacked and killed the teenager before disappearing from the scene.
This was disclosed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspects, saying that they were in Police custody undergoing interrogation over the alleged crime.
He stated that upon the receipt of information of the unfortunate incident on 5th June, 2023, operatives attached to the Division commenced a preliminary investigation and arrested the suspects the next day, 6th June, 2023 at a tea joint in Izom.
He explained that during interrogation, Nuhu confessed to having committed the crime with his friend because the girl’s mother accused him of stealing.
“Nuhu claimed that they injured the girl on the head, strangled her to death and immediately left the scene. They locked the house gate from outside and went away until when the mother came back from the market before the incident was discovered,” Abiodun said.
DSP Abiodun further stated that in the course of the investigation, some exhibits were recovered, which included six knives, two cutlasses, a digger, a suspected blood-stained shirt belonging to Nuhu as well as some other pieces of clothes, which are in Police custody.
He stated that the suspects have also been transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation, and they will be arraigned in Court for the alleged offence for prosecution as soon as the investigation is concluded.
The suspects may likely be charged before Court for conspiracy and murder, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.