The Niger State Police Command has apprehended the primary suspect in the murder of a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Dr. Fumilola Adefolalu.
Police investigations revealed that the 14-year-old house help, Joy Afekafe, was responsible for the attack, with her classmates, Walex and Smart, who are currently evading capture.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, explaining that efforts are underway to apprehend the suspects.
On October 10, 2023, friends and fellow church members of Adefolalu visited her residence in the Gbaiko Area of Minna. However, upon arrival, they discovered her lying in a pool of blood with visible signs of injury on her body.
“Police operatives attached to Bosso Division visited the scene and two bloodstained knives suspected to have been used to stab her by unknown person(s) were recovered from the scene. The body was taken to the IBB Hospital, Minna where she was confirmed dead,” Abiodun said.
Abiodun said the police investigation led to the arrest of the deceased’s housemaid, Afekafe, on October 30, 2023, at a residence located in the Gbeganu area of Minna.
The statement read, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed that she served as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks, and she was laid off due to her misdeed in the house.
“After she was laid off, she met her classmates called Walex and Smart, narrated her ordeal to them and conspired to attack the lecturer at her residence.
“Afekafe said they went to the lecturer’s residence on October 28, 2023, around 1600hrs, with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her.
“Walex and Smart later entered, beat and hit the lecturer’s head with a stool and stabbed her with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her severally.”
Abiodun stated, “She (Afekafe) said the deceased’s phone and laptop were taken away, while they also removed the battery of the vehicle parked in the compound and fled the scene.
“The suspect will be transferred to SCID for further investigation and diligent prosecution, while effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing other suspects.”
