Niger: Police arrest 19 suspects over IBBUL student’s murder

Niger State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 19 individuals linked to the murder of Abdulwahab Jafar, a 23-year-old student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai (IBBUL).

After screening the suspects, seven were identified as key suspects in the case, accused of criminal conspiracy, robbery, unlawful society, possession of weapons and cannabis, and suspected culpable homicide.

This was contained in a crime Bulletin issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, of the state Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, a copy of which was made available to Journalists in Minna on Tuesday.

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It be recalled that on June 23, 2025 at about 3:00am there was an attack on the deceased undergraduate student of the University, identified as Abdulwahab Jafar,23 years of Paiko, at his lodge in Lapai.

According to an investigation by the Nigerian Tribune Online, this incident led to other crises in Lapai community, and Police tactical teams were deployed to the town through which normalcy was restored.

The statement added that, in a follow-up investigative effort of the Command, jointly carried out by TST and FID STS, a total of 19 persons were arrested in Lapai and other locations in the State based on intelligence and other information at the disposal of the state Police Command.

According to SP Wasiu Abiodun the Spokesman of the State Police Command, “the investigation activities were narrowed down to seven suspects for criminal conspiracy, robbery, unlawful society, internet fraud, having in possession of dangerous weapons, and suspected culpable homicide.

Further checks revealed that the seven suspects include; one Idris Hamza 27 years of Maikunkele, one Suleiman Damilare 27 years of Maikunkele, Abdulsemiu Bashir 23 years of Lapai, and one Bawa Aliyu 27 years of Suleja. Others include Yakubu Musa (aka Pypa) 24 years of Maikunkele, Samson Abbah, (aka Small ) 28 years of Raffin Yanshi, and Solomon Musa,(aka Cabella) 28 years of Maitumbi among others.

SP Abiodun noted that “Based on credible intelligence, Idris Hamza and Suleiman Damilare were arrested on June 27 at Fadikpe with cannabis, charms, and local black soaps with a Toyota Corolla vehicle at one Abdullahi Ahmed (a.k.a catch-up) residence”.

The suspects allegedly confessed to members of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM) and further said to have confessed to having carried out a series of cultist activities in IBBUL such as initiation of members e.g Jolijoli and other members.

“Their confessions led to the arrest of Abdulsemiu Basir, who is reasonably suspected to be a rival member of the group known as VIKINGS. Upon his arrest in Lapai at a motor park on June 29, a spot search was carried out on him, and he was found in possession of 16 SIM cards, a POS machine, and a sum of seventy-seven thousand naira,” said the PPRO.

He was said to have claimed that he bought the SIM cards from one Audu, another member of VIKINGS presently at large.

It was further learnt that the SIM cards were confirmed to be from stolen/robbed phones of victims.

Bawa Aliyu, before his arrest, was mentioned as a butcher with an axe in NBM Lapai while Yakubu Musa a.k.a PYPA (protect your peace) was arrested on August 14, also a member of NBM, they confirmed to have carried out several attacks and robberies in students’ lodges to finance their dues, with internet fraud.

Samson Abbah (a.k.a Small) of Raffin-Yanshin in Bosso LGA of the state, was a student of Federal Polytechnic Bida, graduated in 2017, but joined NBM in 2015, he was also mentioned as the group Admin officer of their WhatsApp platform for the Minna zone.

The platform was named ” Men that matters” before he changed it to “Football News”, where they discussed their nefarious activities. Solomon Musa known as Cabella, a close friend of Bawa and Yakubu, the three of them with others attempted to attack another student in the school in August, but met his absence and destroyed the student’s apartment over an alleged rude attitude of the student to them as they allegedly claimed.

Meanwhile, the PPRO, has assured that the investigation is still ongoing adding that efforts to identify either VIKINGS or NBM members responsible for the attack on the deceased are intensified, as it was established that the attack was cult-related.

The statement said that further development will be made public very soon.