The Niger State Police Command has through a statement issued and signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Wasiu A. Abiodun, disclosed that the prime suspect in the murder of a lecturer of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Dr. Funmilola Adefolalu has been arrested.
DSP Wasiu A. Abiodun said, the prime suspect, a 14 year old teenager, Joy Afekafe, is currently being interrogated by the police as the prime suspect for the culpable homicide of the FUT Minna lecturer.
Late Funmilola, who is also a Pastor with Voice of Mercy Ministry was discovered inside her residence in the Gbaiko area of Minna at about 10 am on Sunday, October 29, 2023 in a pool of blood with her throat slit, and two knives stained with blood by her lifeless body.
According to the PPRO, Police operatives attached to Bosso Division visited the scene and two knives with blood stains suspected to have been used to stab her by unknown person(s) were recovered from the scene and the body was taken to IBB Hospital, Minna where she was confirmed dead.
After a series of interviews with the neighbors and friends of the family, the investigation led to the arrest of the deceased’s housemaid Joy Afekafe ‘f’ (14) of the same Gbeganu area on the Monday, October 30, 2023 and she confessed to have served the deceased as house help for some months.
During interrogations, the suspect confessed that she served as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks, and was laid off due to her misdeed which the deceased could no longer condone.
After she was laid off, Joy met two of her classmates, Walex and Smart, and narrated her ordeal to them and the trio conspired and attacked the lecturer at her residence on the ill-fated Sunday morning leading to her death.
Joy, according to the statement narrated how they went to her former abode on 28/10/2023 at about 6 pm with a motorcycle and the late lecturer surfaced at the gate, while she opened the gate for her to enter, Walex and Smart later joined in, descended on her and hit her head with a stool and stabbed her severally with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the kitchen to execute their evil act.
They later made away with the deceased phones, and laptop and also removed the battery of her car that was parked inside the compound and fled the scene.
The suspect will be transferred to State CID for further investigation and diligent prosecution, while efforts are ongoing to arrest her other fleeing partners in crime, Walex and Smart.