Teacher arrested for murder

Jatuat Kperika, a 28-year-old teacher of Nakpanduri Senior High School, has been arrested by the police in connection with the death of a local musician in the area.

The second accused person was implicated by the first suspect as being the owner of the 12 rounds foreign-made pistol used in killing the deceased, Tanko Gingon Kombian.


Awudu Badjai told police during investigations that the teacher gave him the pistol for safekeeping, contrary to earlier reports that he picked it from the ground.


According to him, the second accused was travelling and did not want to leave the pistol behind hence the reason why he gave the pistol to him and promised to retrieve it on his return.


But Jatuat Kperika, who earlier denied knowing the lead suspect, later admitted being an acquaintance to the lead accused but indicated it was nothing serious.


The two have since made their first appearance at a Nalerigu Magistrate Court presided by Robert Agbleze, where they were remanded in prison custody to reappear on April 25, 2013.


Both are facing charges of murder, possession of firearm without lawful authority and transferring firearm without authority.

It would be recalled that a 31-year-old farmer, Awudu Badjai, shot and killed his colleague at Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district a fortnight ago.


The suspect, who is a former ally of the incarcerated notorious armed robber cum jail breaker, Johnson Kombian, was reported to have shot the deceased, Tanko Gingon Kombian, a popular local musician, at close range in the chest with 12 rounds of a foreign-made pistol, killing him on the spot.


The suspect was alleged to have killed his victim because he was enraged by the lyrics of the music, claiming the lyrics and chorus of one of his tracks sought to subject him and some friends to public ridicule.


According to pieces of information gathered, the suspect and his cohorts are noted for their alleged involvement in a number of criminal activities in the area.


Police told Daily Guide that they were informed by the personnel of the Nakpanduri Health Centre that the deceased was brought in with gunshot wound, but was pronounced dead on arrival.


The Police and Military Patrol team on hearing the incident rushed to the health facility to confirm whether it was linked to the ethnic clashes in the area only to be disappointed.

The deceased was therefore rushed to the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu, where a post-mortem was conducted on him and it was indeed confirmed he died as a result of profuse bleeding after the gunshot wound, which affected sensitive organs in his chest.


The suspect, who was almost lynched after the act, sought refuge with the police and was arrested. In his caution statement, he admitted the offence with flimsy excuses.


According to him, he was on his way to a popular drinking spot when he found the pistol on the floor and picked it with the intention of showing it to his colleagues.


He told the police that on reaching where his colleagues were seated, he tried removing the pistol but it fell off and in the process of picking it up, the pistol discharged killing the musician whilst the others fled the scene.


Realizing what he had done, he hid the pistol and attempted fleeing from the scene but was given a hot chase by some residents who attempted to lynch him but for the timely intervention of the police.