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By Dada Ahmed, Editor, The Reporters.
Late Aminu Abubakar.
The Police Command in Kogi state has uncovered the harrowing details behind the brutal killing of Aminu Abubakar, a young graduate whose dreams of national service were cut short in a senseless act of violence.
Abubakar, a resident of Otokiti Housing Estate in Lokoja, Kogi State had recently graduated from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and was eagerly awaiting mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Like many young Nigerians striving to build a future, he had set out on March 18, 2026, on his tricycle to earn a living—never imagining it would be his last journey.
His sudden disappearance plunged his family and neighbors into fear, a dread that turned into grief when his lifeless body was later found near the CBN area in Zone 8, Lokoja.
The shocking discovery sent waves of sorrow across the community, as residents struggled to process the loss of a promising young life.
In a statement on Wednesday, Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO,ASP Oyiza Afusat Salihu said the Command acted swiftly and its operatives from the Homicide Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to launch an intelligence-led investigation that quickly led to the arrest of two prime suspects: Garba Godwin Ibrahim and Ashema Usman Samson.
According to the police, the suspects disguised themselves as construction workers to gain Abubakar’s trust. They lured Abubakar to a secluded location, where he was violently attacked.
An autopsy later revealed that he died from multiple severe blows to the back of the head, causing fatal skull fractures and brain injuries, according to the PPRO.
The suspects reportedly confessed that the attack was premeditated, carried out with the sole aim of stealing the victim’s tricycle,an act that has left many questioning the depth of desperation and lawlessness behind it, according to her.
Further investigation, ASP added,revealed that the stolen tricycle had been sold to one Kabiru Idris in Ayingba.
She said acting on this lead, police arrested Idris and recovered the tricycle, along with four other motorcycles suspected to have been stolen. Idris allegedly admitted to receiving stolen items
from the gang and other criminal elements involved in armed robbery, suggesting a wider network of crime.
In a disturbing revelation, the police image maker disclosed that the two main suspects are ex-convicts, previously jailed for armed robbery and culpable homicide, with alleged links to the deaths of more than 16 people.
ASP Salihu said the investigation is now complete, and all suspects have been charged before Magistrate Court 5 in Lokoja, where they remain in custody pending further proceedings.
Reacting to the development,yhe Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP.Naziru Bello Kankarofi, commended the operatives for their professionalism and diligence.
He reassured residents of the Command’s commitment to eradicating criminal elements and urged the public to remain vigilant and support security agencies with timely, credible information.
Report by Correspondent in Lokoja.
