The Nasarawa State Police Command claims to have apprehended the assailants of Paul Okon Anwana, a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency agent.
According to the Punch, the late Anwana was assassinated on April 18, 2022, when suspected criminals posing as commercial motorcyclists entered his home in the state’s Karu Local Government Area and assaulted him with various weapons till he died.
On Thursday in Lafia, the Commissioner of Police, CP Adesina Soyemi, said that the suspects also planned to set fire to the victim’s home, but they were apprehended by police officers from the command’s anti-cultism section before they could carry out their plot.
He said, “A distress call was received that commercial motorcyclists were attacking a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency personnel who was identified as Paul Okon Anwana and they were about to set his residence ablaze.
“Upon receipt of the information, the Divisional Police officer, New Karu Division, Anti-cultism unit and Crack team led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, swiftly mobilised to the scene where the victim was found in the pool of his blood.
“He was rushed to the hospital by the police where the doctor confirmed him dead.
“Reacting to the ugly development, a manhunt for the perpetrators of the act was launched. Consequently, via painstaking investigation, twenty-one suspects who actively participated in the lynching of the victim to death were arrested.”
CP Soyemi mentioned the names of the suspects to include Mansur Ishaq, 30 years, Adamu Ado, 22 years, Kamala Abdulrahaman, 15 years, Murtala Salisu, 15 years, Salisu Lawal, 37 years, Anas Ibrahim, 19 years, Imrana Ibrahim 26 years, Zayanu Usman, 35 years, Abdulahi Lawal 22 years, among others.
He noted that stones, metals, and other hard objects used in the commission of the offence were recovered as exhibits, adding that the suspects had made useful statements that would help to conduct a proper investigation into the matter.
While parading other suspects arrested for various crimes across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state, CP Soyemi warned criminal elements to desist from terrorising the state and be good citizens as the police would not fail to arrest and prosecute anyone found wanting.