…….Investigation into body found under Katampe bridge uncovers events at Gwarimpa hotel as police arrest three persons
The FCT Police Command has traced the discovery of a lifeless man dumped under a bridge along the Kubwa Expressway by Katampe to events that allegedly took place at a hotel in Gwarimpa, leading to the arrest of a woman linked to the deceased and two members of the hotel management who allegedly moved and abandoned the body.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed this on Saturday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Abuja, explaining that the case initially generated concerns among residents because the discovery of the body was immediately associated with kidnapping and “one chance” robbery, two criminal activities that have continued to cause public anxiety within the Federal Capital Territory.
The deceased was found on August 26, 2026, at about 9 a.m. along the Kubwa Expressway by Katampe under the bridge. Sanusi said that before the discovery, the man had already been reported missing by his family, prompting the Command to commence efforts to establish his whereabouts and determine what might have happened to him.
According to the commissioner, the discovery of the body created an urgent need for investigators to establish whether the deceased was the same person reported missing and, if so, to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. He said the Command therefore refused to rely on early assumptions linking the incident to kidnapping or “one chance” robbery and instead commenced a detailed investigation into the facts surrounding the case.
Sanusi said police eventually confirmed that the body discovered under the bridge was that of the missing man. He said the development increased the urgency of the investigation because the deceased’s family deserved answers about what had happened to their relative and the Command had a responsibility to establish the circumstances that led to his death and the subsequent abandonment of his body.
A major breakthrough, according to the commissioner, came when investigators discovered that the deceased’s mobile phone was missing. Police operatives began efforts to trace the device and establish its last known location and usage, but the phone had already been switched off. Despite this, investigators were able to establish the last person with whom the deceased had communicated before his disappearance.
Sanusi identified the person as Mrs Rukayat Muhammed of Garki Area 2. Further investigation, he said, revealed that Muhammed, who is married, was in a romantic relationship with the deceased and had saved his contact on her mobile phone under the name “Safiyat,” a development that provided investigators with another significant lead into the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s final movements.
The police chief said investigators subsequently established that Muhammed and the deceased had lodged at Good Samaritan Guest House on Second Avenue in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja, where they spent some time together before the incident that eventually led to the discovery of the man’s body under the Katampe bridge.
According to Sanusi, the woman told investigators that she discovered that the deceased was no longer breathing and had died while they were at the hotel. Rather than immediately contacting the police or other emergency authorities, the suspect allegedly took the deceased’s mobile phone and left the hotel, leaving the circumstances surrounding the death to be discovered later.
The commissioner said several hours after the woman had left, hotel management attempted to establish contact with the occupants of the room but were unsuccessful. Access was eventually gained into the room, where members of the hotel management discovered the lifeless body of the deceased.
Sanusi further disclosed that two members of the hotel management, identified as Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus, allegedly decided not to report the discovery to the police. Instead, according to the investigation, they removed the body from the hotel room and transported it to the Kubwa Expressway by Katampe, where they allegedly dumped it under the bridge in an apparent attempt to distance the hotel and its management from the incident.
The commissioner said the investigation demonstrated the importance of following every available lead in serious criminal cases, noting that what initially appeared to be a possible kidnapping or “one chance” robbery incident was eventually connected to events that had occurred inside a hotel. He said investigators traced the deceased’s last known contacts and painstakingly reconstructed his movements before establishing the link between the body found under the bridge and the Gwarimpa hotel.
Sanusi, however, stressed that the investigation had not been concluded, particularly regarding the exact cause and circumstances of the deceased’s death. He said additional investigative processes were ongoing to determine what happened to the man before his death and whether any of the persons already arrested played a role in causing his death.
He warned that anyone found to have participated in the death of the deceased or in the subsequent concealment, movement and abandonment of his body would be made to face the law. The commissioner also urged members of the public to understand that attempts to conceal information, obstruct investigations or otherwise assist criminals would not prevent the police from eventually uncovering the facts.
In another major development, Sanusi disclosed that the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Command had recovered two AK 47 rifles and two magazines during an ongoing investigation into a suspected kidnapping syndicate operating within the FCT and surrounding areas.
According to him, the development followed the arrest of Musbahu Ishak on August 2, 2026, during which two assault rifles were recovered from the suspect. He said investigators subsequently obtained information that led them to a suspected hideout in Kagarko Forest on August 16, where members of the syndicate were believed to have concealed additional firearms.
The commissioner said the police team trekked through difficult terrain to reach the hideout, where a detailed search resulted in the recovery of two AK 47 rifles without breach numbers and two magazines without ammunition. The weapons, he said, had been buried in the ground at the location in an apparent attempt to conceal them from law enforcement.
Sanusi said the police team encountered resistance while leaving the forest with the recovered weapons and the suspect in custody. According to him, suspected members of the criminal gang ambushed the operatives and opened fire in an attempt to rescue their arrested associate, resulting in a gun battle between the police and the suspected gang members.
He said one police officer sustained gunshot injuries to the chest during the encounter, while Ishak also sustained gunshot injuries. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, but the suspect was subsequently pronounced dead by medical personnel. The injured police officer, according to the commissioner, was responding to treatment at the time of the briefing.
The FCT Police Command also announced the arrest of three suspects allegedly connected to a “one chance” robbery syndicate operating within Abuja. Sanusi said the arrests were made as part of intensified patrols and operations ordered by the Command to tackle car snatching, robbery and other violent criminal activities across the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that at about 10 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit Team III intercepted a Toyota Camry, 2000 model, ash in colour, with registration number ABJ RSH 606 SG, along the Goodluck Jonathan Expressway around the Court of Appeal Junction.
According to the commissioner, two occupants of the vehicle attempted to escape immediately they sighted the police operatives but were quickly arrested. The suspects were identified as 41 year old Okwudili Benjamin of Mami Road, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, and 37 year old Chinedu Mbaka of Aso “B”, Nasarawa State.
Sanusi said a detailed search of the vehicle led to the recovery of nine Android phones, pliers, a wheel lock and other exhibits. Preliminary investigation, he said, indicated that the suspects were allegedly connected to several “one chance” robbery incidents within the city centre.
The commissioner further disclosed that investigators established that the suspects were allegedly waiting for an accomplice before commencing their operation on the night of their arrest. According to him, the recovered mobile phones and other exhibits have been identified as belonging to several previous victims of “one chance” robbery incidents.
Sanusi said one of the suspects, Benjamin, had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2023 in connection with a similar offence. He added that investigators subsequently expanded the operation and traced an alleged receiver of stolen property identified as Osondu Benard to NPC Junction in Nyanya, where he was also arrested.
The commissioner said all the suspects remain in police custody and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations. He assured residents that the Command would continue to target not only individual criminals but also the networks responsible for receiving stolen property and facilitating criminal operations within the territory.
Sanusi said the FCT Police Command would continue to pursue criminal gangs, dismantle their networks, trace the proceeds of their activities and ensure that persons found to have violated the law are brought before the appropriate courts.
He called on residents of the Federal Capital Territory to remain vigilant and security conscious and to cooperate with the police and other security agencies by providing timely information about suspicious persons, movements and activities. He stressed that residents should report incidents promptly to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency contact lines.
The commissioner concluded by stressing that security remains a collective responsibility, saying the police would continue to do their part in protecting lives and property while relying on the cooperation, vigilance and support of residents to make the Federal Capital Territory safer.
