Police arrest two suspects for murder of commercial tricyclist in Niger State

Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested two suspects, Sunday Paul and Bali Joshua, over the murder of a commercial tricyclist in Suleja area of the state.

Spokesperson of the the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement on Friday, June 2, 2023, said the suspects alongside an accomplice, Zingfa Selchak, who is presently at large, connived and killed the victim, Boniface Chinanwa, after luring him to a deserted road. 

According to the PPRO, Selchak had deceitfully contracted the deceased to convey some goods for him with the intention of stealing his tricycle. 

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The suspects strangled Chinanwa to death with a cable, dumped his body by the roadside and made away with his tricycle, phone and other valuables. 

“On 23/05/2023 at about 2030hrs, based on a tip-off, Police operatives attached to ‘A’ Div Suleja arrested the following two suspects; Sunday Paul aged 22yrs of Timber-shed, Suleja and Bali Joshua aged 33yrs of Kwamba area, Suleja,” the PPRO stated.

“The suspects were arrested in connection with the culpable homicide of one Boniface Chinanwa aged 45yrs of Morocco road, Suleja

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that on 17/05/2023 at about 1900hrs, they were invited by one Zingfa Selchak of the same address but presently at large. He briefed them on his intention to snatch a tricycle and that he needed their assistance to perpetrate the act.

“He took them to somewhere along Kwamba road, opposite Timber-shed, and told them to wait for him, shortly he appeared with a tricycle rider whom he deceitfully contracted to convey some goods for him.

“They jointly moved to a nearby corner with the rider pretending to start packing the goods into the tricycle. Suddenly, the said Zingfa placed a cable on the neck of the rider from the rear, tightly drawn and strangulated him till death with the help of Bali while Sunday tied the hands of the victim

“The suspects also searched the victim, stole his phone and other valuables in his possession, while Zingfa drove the tricycle to an unknown destination, both Bali and Sunday dropped the body of the deceased by the roadside, where it was discovered the following morning

“The suspects have been transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation, as effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing Zingfa and to also recover the tricycle with other valuables stolen. The exhibit recovered is the cable tied to a spanner used to strangulate the victim.”