THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, on Thursday, September 21, confirmed the death of an undergraduate of the National Open University of Nigeria, Blessing Karami.
Karami was declared missing on September 11, when she didn’t return to her house in Lugbe after closing from work at the Visest Supplement company in Area 3 junction.
The Police subsequently initiated a search after her disappearance was communicated to the Durumi Police station in FCT by her elder brother, Genesis Moses Karami, and her boss.
The elder brother had explained to The Whistler that the lady “studied Early Childhood Development at College of Education, Gidan Waya in Kaduna before going to NOUN as a direct entry student where she was studying the same course. She was in the 200 level.”
“I stay in Kaduna, but she stays in Lugbe. She stays alone. My sister left for work on Monday morning. They (her colleagues) saw her at work. She did all of her work and closed by 5 p.m., which was the last time. That was all,” he said.
Meanwhile, confirming her death on Thursday, September 21, the Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said the police had an unwavering commitment to uncover the cause of Karami’s death.
According to her, the lady’s body was discovered in a wooded area in Karimo. This is a different direction and transport route from where she stays.
“We wish to inform the Public that our primary focus at this time, under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Haruna Garba, is to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Blessing Karami Moses’ untimely death. Our commitment to this case is unwavering, and we are determined to uncover the immediate and remote causes of this tragic incident.”
She noted that the police were working with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) to facilitate the retrieval of the decomposed remains, adding that they would continue to provide updates to the public as the investigation progresses.
Following her death, the Divisional Police Headquarters, Durumi, Abuja, arrested one Aminu, said to be the deceased’s boyfriend.
While recounting the incident, the deceased’s brother, Karami, informed the police that he received a call about discovering his sister’s body on Tuesday, September 19. However, it later became evident that the information was incorrect
“The caller said he saw a female body in Idu, so we asked him to describe what she was wearing, and he told us exactly what we were told my sister wore to the office the day she went missing,” Mr Karami told the police at the Durumi Divisional Police Headquarters on Wednesday.
Karami also told journalists that when he couldn’t reach the Durumi DPO, he proceeded to the police station at Karmo. Accompanied by a group of policemen, the caller kept toying with them as he kept changing location until they got tired and left.
He added: “We (later) saw her decomposed body in the bush here at Karmo; it’s not something we can move. We have to arrange with the environmental people to come and help us pack. We cannot travel with it. We have to bury it here. It seems she died for days due to the nature of the decomposition.”
The ICIR had reported how commuters in Nigeria’s major cities – Lagos and Abuja – are violently attacked and robbed.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M