The FCT Police Command has arrested a woman and two guest-house workers over the circumstances surrounding the death of a man whose body was later found dumped under the Katampe Bridge along the Kubwa Expressway, Abuja.
The suspects were identified as Mrs Rukayat Muhammed of Garki Area 2, and two workers of Good Samaritan Guest House, Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
According to the police, the deceased had lodged at the guest house on Second Avenue, Gwarimpa, with Muhammed, who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with him.
Sanusi said the case came to light after the man was reported missing by his family and his body was subsequently discovered along the Kubwa Expressway near Katampe on August 26.
The commissioner said the investigation initially examined the possibility of kidnapping or a “one chance” robbery before detectives established a link between the deceased and Muhammed.
He said investigators discovered that the man’s mobile phone was missing and, although the device had been switched off, they were able to establish his last known communication.
The trail led detectives to Muhammed, who police said had saved the deceased’s contact on her phone as “Safiyat.”
According to Sanusi, Muhammed told investigators that the man suddenly became unresponsive while they were at the guest house.
Rather than alerting the police or seeking assistance, she allegedly left the premises with his mobile phone.
The police said hotel management later became concerned after attempts to contact the occupants of the room failed. The room was subsequently opened and the man’s body was found inside.
Instead of reporting the discovery to the authorities, the police alleged that Omeiza and Bitrus removed the body from the guest house and transported it to the Kubwa Expressway, where they dumped it under the Katampe Bridge.
The latest development follows an earlier report by THE STAR on the discovery of the man’s body under the bridge, which had raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police investigations have now linked the discovery to the Gwarimpa guest house and identified three people allegedly connected to events preceding and following the man’s death.
The police, however, have not established that Muhammed or the hotel workers caused the man’s death. The investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the removal and dumping of the body.
