Taiwo Popoola
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of an 18-year-old panel beater, Fatiyah Abdulhakeem, for allegedly killing a former Permanent Secretary, Adamu Jagaba, and stealing his car.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Jagaba’s block-moulding industry along the Eastern Bye-Pass in Minna, the state capital.
Abdulhakeem is accused of stabbing the retired official in the head and fleeing with his Toyota Camry.
An eyewitness, Nuhu Abubakar, told reporters that the attack was sudden and unprovoked.
“The incident happened on Saturday. The panel beater came to the Jagaba industry to fix the car. There was no argument.
“The next thing we saw was that the panel beater entered the car and drove away while the perm sec was lying in a pool of his blood and writhing in pain,” Abubakar stated.
Jagaba, who previously served in the Niger State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the arrest of the suspect and recovery of the stolen vehicle.
Abiodun revealed that Abdulhakeem had conspired with some of Jagaba’s workers to carry out the crime.
“On December 7, 2024, at about 3 pm, a report of an incident of culpable homicide was made at Tudun-Wada Division, that at about 11:30 am, a yet-to-be-identified person(s) trespassed into a block industry located along Eastern Bye-pass, Minna, attacked and stabbed one Adamu Jagaba on the head and made away with his vehicle.
“The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he gave up the ghost and was confirmed dead,” he stated, adding that police operatives visited the scene.
During interrogation, Abdulhakeem reportedly confessed to the killing and implicated others in the crime. He revealed that some of Jagaba’s workers provided information to facilitate the attack.
“Fortunately, on the local circulation of the vehicle’s details to all police points and formation within the state, on the same date at about 7 pm, the Police Crack Squad of the Command intercepted the vehicle along Bosso Estate Road, Minna, with the suspect named Fatiyah Abdulhakeem, aged 18 years of Tayi Village via Bosso Minna.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being the victim’s car painter and visited him at his block industry located at Eastern Bye-pass, via Maitumbi, opposite PDP Secretariat Minna.
“He said after discussing changing the vehicle bumper, he deliberately stabbed the deceased severally on the head and neck, and also hit him multiple times with a stapler in the office and made away with his Toyota Camry vehicle with registration number MNA 61 AE.
“He confessed further that he conspired with some of the deceased’s workers, who gave him the target and more information in carrying out the crime.
“He said he has other gang members he does such heinous acts with, as he mentioned their names for investigation,” Abiodun added.
The command’s spokesperson revealed that an effort is ongoing to apprehend the members and the suspect will be charged in court for prosecution immediately after the investigation.
