A 34-year-old man, Maaruf Sarki, has been arrested by the police in Niger state for killing and burying his landlord, Tasiu Shittu, in shallow grave in Kontagora area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, ASP Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this yesterday, adding that Sarki also stole N1.7 million from the deceased, including an unregistered Honda car.
The police spokesman said the suspect fled to Sokoto after committing the crime, but was arrested by detectives from his hide-out.
Parading the Sarki along with 11 other kidnapping and robbery suspects, ASP Abubakar said “Sarki killed and buried one Alhaji Tasiu Shittu in shallow grave inside a rented apartment in Kontagora.”
He said the apartment was rented out to the suspect by the deceased, adding that the suspect had led detectives to the shallow grave and that the body had been exhumed for autopsy.
Speaking in an interview, Sarki said he was hired to kill his landlord by a business associate at the cost of N2 million, adding that he administered local herbs to poison his victim.
“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 associate. I regret the action. However, the business associate is said to be on the run,” he said.
The police also paraded one Ayuba John who specialised in fabricating local firearms linked to a five-man robbery and kidnapping gang.
The gang, according to the PPRO, was involved in several cases of robbery and stealing of motorcycles within Lapia area of the state, and 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.”
