The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of seven suspects in connection with the death of Abdulwahab Jafar, a 23-year-old student at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUL) in Lapai.
Initially, 19 suspects were taken into custody following the June 23 attack that led to Jafar’s death. However, police investigations have since narrowed the list to seven individuals who are now facing charges of criminal conspiracy, robbery, and suspected culpable homicide.
The suspects, whose ages range from 23 to 28, are also accused of being members of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), a confraternity linked to cult-related activities on campus.
Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun stated that the investigation began when two of the suspects were arrested with cannabis, charms, and a stolen Toyota Corolla. Their confessions led to the additional arrests. One of the suspects was found with a POS machine, 16 SIM cards, and ?77,000, believed to be proceeds from stolen phones. The suspects have also been linked to a series of violent attacks on student lodges in the area.
In a separate incident in Suleja, the police also arrested four suspects in connection with a robbery on September 6. The gang, which reportedly consisted of ten people, attacked a victim in his home, stealing phones, a plasma TV, and other valuables. The victim was hospitalized for head injuries.
Both sets of suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.
