By Hasan Abdulai
Minna
The police in Niger State have arrested 34 years old man, Maaruf Sarki, for killing and burying his landlord, Malam Tasiu Shittu, in a shallow grave in Kontagora, Kontagora Local Government Area of the state.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Police Command, ASP Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on efforts being made by the police to rid the state of criminals.
The PPRO said that Sarki also stole N1.7 million from the deceased including a yet to be registered Honda car and thereafter fled to a hideout in Sokoto where he was later smoked out and arrested by detectives.
“Sarki killed and buried the late Alhaji Tasiu Shittu in a shallow grave inside an apartment that was rented out to him by the deceased in Kontagora”, the PPRO said, adding that 11 other kidnap and robbery suspects are helping the police investigations.
The suspect, who later informed journalists how he was contracted to eliminate his landlord by the deceased’s business associate for an agreed sum, the PPRO further explained, has led detectives to the shallow grave he buried the late Shittu and the body had been exhumed for autopsy.
Sarki said, “I was hired to kill my landlord by a business associate at the cost of N2 million.”
He also claimed that he administered local herbs to poison his victim who incidentally rented a house for him.
The suspect, who however told journalists that the said business associate was nowhere to be found, said, “I used local medicine to kill the man and buried him inside the house which I rented from him. I was hired to kill him by one of his business associates. I regret the action”.
The police also paraded Mr. Ayuba John, who specialized in fabricating local firearms linked to five-man robbery and kidnap gang who has been terrorizing citizens of the state in recent times.
Abubarkar said that the gang has been linked to several armed robbery cases and stealing of motorcycles in Lapai area, adding that the gang recently stole a motorcycle from one, Dingi Alhaji Bako and collected the sum of N400, 000 from the victim after threatening to kidnap him.
