Police probe killing of Kogi graduate awaiting NYSC call-up

The Kogi State Police Command has launched an investigation into the death of a fresh graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Aminu Lawal, who was murdered in Lokoja two weeks ago.

The investigation comes on the heels of the cry for justice from family members, friends and neighbours who expressed worries that an arrested suspect connected to the matter might be set free due to the alleged pressure on law enforcement agencies investigating the matter from certain quarters.

As a result of these worries, the Kogi State Police Command spokesperson ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat told journalists in Lokoja that detailed investigations on the case has commenced .

She added that the outcome of the investigation would be made public very soon

“It’s not true that the police is under pressure to release the suspect. We are still investigating the case. We will probe it to a logical conclusion,” Oyiza said, promising to give more details as they unfolded.

Aminu, who was said to have recently graduated from the University of Maiduguri and was awaiting callup for the National Youth Service Corps, was briefly discovered missing on Wednesday, March 18.

He was said to have left home in Otokiti Estate to hussle for passengers in his luggage tricycle popularly called Keke NAPEP that morning but failed to return on schedule. His worried parents immediately raised the alarm and launched a frantic search for his whereabouts.

Their worst fears were later confirmed when he was found dead the following day, Thursday.

His charred remains were discovered in an isolated bush path opposite the Central Bank, Zone 8 area in the state capital.

Sources who saw his remains narrated to our correspondent that his head was suspected to have been smashed with a heavy object by his yet to be identified assailants.

The attackers were also said to have cut the left side vein on his neck, even when his tricycle has yet to be found.

The gory discovery of Lawal’s remains Arewa PUNCH further gathered plunged the family and entire neighbourhood into mourning, just as the body was promptly recovered and buried according to Islamic rites of passage.

Our correspondent reports further that the event took a new dimension when an independent community-led investigation indicted one Garuba who is an acquaintance and resident of the same Otokiti Estate in the victim’s death.

Garuba was identified as one of the last callers of the deceased.

A deeper probe into the case led to the arrest of Garuba from his abode on Wednesday, March 25, by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp.

He was said to have been detained in their office before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID.

Meanwhile, an anonymous source said to be familiar with the incident further told Arewa PUNCH that pressure was being mounted to secure the release of the suspect.

“We are appealing that this case should not be swept under the carpet.

“Aminu trained himself successfully through school in far away Maidugiri. Despite the security challenges in that axis, he successfully completed his studies only to be murdered at home.

“The least we can do is to find and punish his murderers. We demand proper and timely probe that will bring anyone involved to the law,” he said.