Kano State Police Command have arrested a couple, Dayyabu Abdullahi and Hafizu Salisu, for allegedly killing one Nafiu Hafiz, who owed them a sum of N10 million.
Hafiz had promised to pay the money within ten months, which elapsed in October. He (Hafiz) reportedly pleaded for an extension till December, which he again failed to keep to.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Friday, a friend of the deceased, Fatima Gambo, said when Hafiz couldn’t pay the couple back, he begged them for further extension, adding that the company he was executing a project for had not reimbursed him because the CEO had just celebrated two of his daughters’ wedding.
“In the last attempt, on Wednesday that he went to solicit for further extension of his debt repayment, the wife of the man he owed allegedly stabbed him, but they kept his corpse in their house and at night called his father that their son went to the hospital for the surgery, then he died.
“Although the deceased has been a little sick and had confirmed been alright, which convinced the parents that they could be telling the truth.
“So the father and his brothers left Bauchi State around 12 am and arrived in Kano at about 4 am. They went straight to their house to pick up the remains of his son for burial, only to discover that the body was still dripping blood. That raised suspicion even after the couple claimed that they had invited an Imam to bathe and robe him for Islamic burial rites.
So, one of the brothers who accompanied the father, Hafizu Salisu, contacted the police and briefed them on the development,” she added.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state’s command, Haruna Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, adding that an investigation is ongoing to bring the perpetrators to book.
In the statement he sent to our correspondent, Abdulahi said, “On 21/12/2023 at about 0700hrs, report was received from one Hafizu Salisu of Bauchi Metropolis of Bauchi State that he received a phone call from one Dayyabu Abdullahi ‘m’ of Unguwa Uku Quarters Kano that his brother one Nafi’u Hafiz aged 38 years, is dead and that they should come and convey the corpse for burial.
“When they arrived at the residence at Unguwa Uku Quarters Kano, they discovered several injuries on different parts of the lifeless body suspected to be knife stabs.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, directed the Divisional Police Officer, Zaria Road Division, SP Abubakar Chika Zaki, to lead a team of detectives to the scene and to conduct a preliminary investigation.
“Upon arrival at the crime scene by the detectives, the motionless body was removed from the scene and rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where a medical doctor certified the body dead.”
Abdullahi added that further investigation led to the arrest of Hasfat Surajo, aged 24 years, a female housewife of the residence where the deceased lived, stressing that Hafsat admitted that she singlehandedly committed the act by stabbing the deceased on several parts of his body with a knife while he was preventing her from committing suicide.
“Her husband, Dayyabu Abdullahi, aged 38 years, ‘m’, of the same address, and their gateman, Mallam Adam, aged 65 years, were arrested for packaging and concealing the dead body and cover,” the statement added.
He further said that the knife stained with blood recovered from the crime scene would be subjected to thorough and discreet investigation, after which the suspect would be charged in court.
