Laminu Saminu, a 29-year-old schoolteacher, has been arrested by the Katsina State Police Command for the horrific killing of his friend, Sanusi Bawa, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The suspect, who admitted to the crime, said he served Bawa the locally prepared cow milk known as “Fura da Nono,” which he had mixed with rat poison, because he wanted Bawa’s car.
Police spokesperson, Gambo Isah, said the suspect lured the victim into an empty building in the Mani Local Government Area of the state, while parading him before reporters at the Command Headquarters on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
He tricked Bawa into parking his car in the house’s garage, and then served him the poisoned Fura da Nono meal, which caused the deceased to lose consciousness.
He then took a heavy piece of firewood and repeatedly struck the victim in the head until he passed away. He reportedly dumped the corpse inside a well in the compound and covered it with sand, with the intention of stealing the victim’s car.
The statement reads,
“On 1/12/2022 at about 1300hrs, the Command succeeded in arresting, a classroom teacher, one Laminu Saminu, aged 29yrs of Bakin Kasuwa Quarters, Mani LGA of Katsina state, a suspected killer friend of one ASC II Sanusi Bawa, an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Katsina state Command, his final year course mate at Federal College of Education, (FCE), Katsina.
“Nemesis caught up with the suspect when on 26/11/2022 at about 1400hrs, he lured the deceased into an unoccupied building in Mani LGA, deceived him to parked his motor vehicle Golf Saloon, green in colour with registration number AA 266 KUF inside a garage in the house and served him with a poisoned Fura da Nono meal, as a result of which the deceased became unconscious,”
“Consequently, he got a heavy fire wood and hit the victim severally on the head until he died and threw the corpse inside a well in the house and covered it with sand. All with the intent of robbing the deceased of his motor vehicle.
“In the course of investigation, suspect made a mistake and called the wife of the deceased through phone that he needs the vehicle’s documents of the deceased. He was subsequently traced and arrested and confessed to the commission of the offence.
“A pack of rat poison, a heavy firewood and a motor vehicle, Volkswagen, Golf, Saloon, green in colour, with registration number AA 266 KUF, belonging to the deceased was found in the possession of the suspect. Investigation is ongoing.”