From Dan Amasingha, Minna

Four days after the gruesome murder of a lecturer of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Dr. Mrs Fumilola Adefolalu, the state Police Command has apprehended a 14-year-old Joy Afekafe ‘of Gbeganu, community in Minna, the state capital as a prime suspect.

The teenager was arrested over the gruesome murder of a Lecturer, Funmilola Adefolalu.

The late Dr.

But the Police Command in a statement in Minna on Tuesday issued by the Public Relation Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun indicated that the police arrested the 14-year-old Joy Afekafe, a former housemaid of the deceased.

The suspected housemaid, according to Wasiu, served as her housemaid for three weeks but later parted ways before her assassination.

According to the police after she was laid off, the suspect met her classmates called Walex and Smart and narrated her ordeal with her late Boss to them after which they conspired to attack the Lecturer at her residence.

The Command further stated that “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.

“She said they went to the residence on 28/10/2023 at about 1600hrs, with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her.

“Walex and Smart later entered, beat the deceased, hit her 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”.

The suspect added that the deceased phone and laptop were taken away, while the battery of the vehicle parked in the compound was removed before they fled the scene.

Wasiu disclosed that on receiving the report, the Police Division swung into action and carried out a series of interviews from the neighborhood and friends of the family, while investigation led to the arrest of the deceased’s housemaid.

The suspect will be transferred to SCID for further investigation and diligent prosecution, while effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects

The female Lecturer with the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State identified as Dr. (Mrs) Adefolalu Funmilola Sherifat was reportededly found slaughtered in her residence in Gbaiko Area of Minna Niger state capital.

The incident was reportedly discovered on Sunday morning when her Church members reportedly traced her home after she was not seen in the Church.

Residents said after forcing the door to her house open, she was found in her pool of blood with her throat slitted and knives found beside her.

It was gathered that the deceased was already an Associate Professor, waiting for promotion to the rank of Professor in the coming months when the Council of the university that was dissolved recently is reconstituted.

The Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University of Technology, Minna Chapter, Dr Bolarin Gbolahan confirmed the incident to Journalists.

He said, “It is strange that Academics are now becoming an endangered species. Our members are being kidnapped almost every week at Keffi now. we cannot sleep in peace again in our homes in minna. The level of insecurity is becoming worrisome and something must be done before we all become victims of systemic failure.”

The Police Public Relations Officer PPRO of the Niger State police command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun also confirmed the incident in Minna on Sunday.

He said” 0n 29/10/2023 at about 1000hrs, some friends of one Dr. Mrs. Funmilola Adefolalu, a lecturer at FUT Minna visited her residence in Gbaiko Area, a suburb of Minna the Niger state capital due to inability to get her phone”.

He explained that unfortunately, on getting to the house, the visitors met her lying in a pool of blood with marks of injury on her body.

The PPRO said two knives with blood stains suspected to have been used to stab her by an unknown person(s) were recovered from the scene.

He said “The body was taken to IBB Hospital, Minna where she was confirmed dead. The unfortunate incident is under investigation.”