The Bauchi State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of the alleged mastermind responsible for the gruesome killings of six National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the state.
The horrible occurrence occurred thirteen years ago in Giade.
According to reports, a female police officer and a citizen were killed in the same incident.
In a statement issued on Friday, the police command stated that it took 10 years to locate the suspect, Kabiru Musa, commonly known as Dawa, due to his legendary criminal record and many people’s reluctance to come forward with information about him for fear of their safety.
During a briefing at the Bauchi police headquarters, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Auwal Muhammad, stated, “On April 18, 2011, between 12:30 and 1:00 pm, a group of youth led by one Kabiru Musa, alias Dawa, stormed the Giade Divisional Police Headquarters following the announcement of the 2011 Presidential Election results. They attacked Police Constable Rifkatu Bappa, who was on duty in the charge room, with deadly weapons such as a knife known as ‘Barandami,’ cutlasses, sticks, and petrol (PMS). As a result, she suffered a variety of injuries and was immediately transported to FMC Azare, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor.”
The Tragic Incident.
The commissioner further stated that Dawa, described as the mastermind, and his accomplices purposefully set fire to a motor vehicle and a Toyota Starlet owned by Peter Okoye that were being stored for safekeeping during the height of the attack.
Furthermore, in a continuation of the horrible crime, Dawa assaulted Bridget Peter Okoye, Peter Okoye’s wife, and severed her fingers.
The blaze from the flaming truck not only devoured and destroyed the station, but it also tragically killed six NYSC personnel who sought sanctuary inside.
The commissioner explained that despite the NYSC members’ efforts to leave, the alleged offender (Dawa) and his crew chased and killed them.
He further stated that the suspected mastermind was captured during an inquiry into a case of alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide involving him and another person. He was charged with allegedly murdering a 17-year-old girl on April 26, 2024, and disposing of her body in a well.
It was during this investigation that his link to the killings of the NYSC members in 2011 was discovered.
The police have stated that the suspect will face charges in court based on the findings of the investigation.
