By Precious Olisa
A 40-year-old charcoal seller, Mr Ibrahim Umar, is cooling off in police custody after he was accused of killing two casual workers in Taranka village in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The suspect, a resident of Dankunkuru village in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, went to Taranka village for charcoal business, and in the course of his stay, two persons went missing.
The villagers immediately accused him of being behind the missing persons.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Bauchi Police Command, Mr Ahmed Wakil, said police officers were quickly drafted to the scene of the alleged incident after a report.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, he said the suspect had been apprehended, helping the security agency to get to the root of the alleged killing.
Mr Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said the Commissioner of Police for Bauchi State, Mr Auwal Muhammad, condemned the gruesome killing of the two casual workers and appealed for calm.
“On September 10, 2023, at about 9.58 am, one Adamu Mohammed, male (57) of Taranka village, Gamawa LGA, Bauchi State, reported at Gamawa Divisional Police Headquarters, that about one month ago, one Kabiru Idi, male (36) and Bato Ali, male (18), both of the same address, were missing
“One Ibrahim Umar, male (40) of Dankunkuru village Ungogo LGA Kano State, who came to the said Taranka village for charcoal business, was suspected to have perfected the abduction and disappearance of the aforementioned persons.
“On receipt of the report, a team of detectives were quickly drafted to the scene and eventually arrested the suspect.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to having killed and buried the two casual workers in a shallow grave around the outskirts of the town.
“Consequently, the requisite coroner’s form was filled, and the bodies were exhumed from the said grave for discreet Investigation. These bodies were established to be those of the missing persons and are certified dead by a medical practitioner.
“Thereafter, the Command handed over the corpses to the relatives for burial according to their respective religious rites. Investigation further uncovered that the accused killed the two persons in a bid to make ritual money out of their dead bodies,” the statement said.
