Police arrest church guard over girl’s death in Suleja

Police in Niger State have arrested a 26-year-old church security guard, Godwin Dauda, after the body of 11-year-old Christabel Albert was found inside a well on church premises in Suleja.

The state police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said the child was reported missing after she left home on September 19 to attend a relative’s birthday ceremony and did not return. A pastor at the Apostolic Church in Suleja later alerted police that a body had been found in a well within the church premises.

Police officers, with help from local government welfare officials, recovered the body and took it to General Hospital, Suleja, where it was identified as that of the missing girl.

Investigators focused on Dauda after he allegedly left the church premises following the discovery. Police said he was arrested around 8pm on September 23 in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory, where he had allegedly gone to hide.

Abiodun alleged that the suspect confessed during questioning that he lured the girl into his security room on September 19, sexually assaulted her and dumped her body in the well after she died. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.

The command said preliminary investigation was still ongoing and that Dauda would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.

Sources: Daily Post, Premium Times