The Nigeria Police, Friday, paraded a 29-year-old cab driver, Itoro Clement, for knocking down and killing Vanguard reporter, Henry Tordue Salam.
Parading the suspect at the Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Headquarters, Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CP Frank Mba, said Clement was arrested following investigation by operatives of the IRT and had confessed to knocking down the journalists on October 13, 2021, at about 10pm, around the Mabushi-Wuse inter-change.
According to Mba, “… Working on different hypothesis major breakthrough was made following digital tracing of an IPhone 6 that led the investigators to Good Friends Garage, Mpape, through which a text call was made from his
SIM card.
“Following detailed analysis major arrets and break through were made. Itoro Clement, a commercial drivers was subsequently arrested and on interrogation stated that on the night of October 13, the same day Henry Tordue Salam, disappeared, had disappeared he had a hit-and-run incident at Mabushi-Wuse Inter-chanhe at about 10pm.
“The driver stated that after knocking down an unknown pedestrian he drove to Good Friend Garage, Mpape, where he usually parks his vehicle for a fee.”
The Force PRO said the police were able to resolve the case after tracking Tordue’s phone to the garage in Mpape leading to the arrest of the suspect after he was identified as the owner of the vehicle that had been involved in an accident earlier.
He said police investigators were able to track and identify the body of Tordue’s body at Wuse General Hospital around 11:30am on Thursday.
“The detectives searched the body and a key Stone Bank debit card bearing his name; a Union Bank debit card bearing his name; an ID card issued by Vanguard Newspapers identifying him as Hemry Tordue Salam and another ID card from the National Assemby identifying his as a member of the House of Fepresentatives Press Corps was also recovered.”
Mba said the detectives had already contacted the family of the deceased journalists who have made positive identification of the body.
Asked whether officials of the Wuse General Hospital and police personnel attached to the patrol car who didn’t report the incident would be held
Fielding questions from journalists, Clement said he was driving home on the night of October 13, when a pedestrian ran past his vehicle around the Mabushi Bridge, which is known as robbery prone area, and another followed suit running into his vehicle.
The suspect, who said he continued driving for fear of being attacked by robbers, disclosed that he informed a police patrol truck at the Mabushi Junction that he and hit an armed robbery on the bridge but was asked by the policemen to report the incident at the Wuse Police Station.
According to him, “I ran into people running across the street and believing that they were robbers, I became afraid after hitting the victim. I didn’t know he was a journalist as that area is notorious for armed robbery.
“I told the policemen by a police truck by the junction what had happened and they asked me to go and report at Wuse Police. To tell the truth I didn’t go. I drove to Good Friend Garage in Mpape where I parl my motor and park.
“In the morning I call panel beater and we went to whrr the motor was. My wind screen was damaged from the accident and I saw phone stuck in wiper and when I checked ans saw that it was badly damages I threw it away. Children picked the phone and used it to make calls and that was how I was caught.”
