Uwem Udukwere: Why we killed retired Army general – suspects

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have apprehended four suspects in connection with the murder of retired Brigadier General Uwem Udukwere, who armed robbers killed on Saturday at his home in Sunshine Estate, Abuja.

On Monday, June 24, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, presented the suspects in Abuja. They were identified as Ibrahim Rabiu, 33, from Rasha, Apo; Nafiu Jamil, 33, from Apo Pantaker; Aliyu Abdullahi, 47, from Apo; and Mohammed Nuhu, 28, from Apo Primary. These individuals were arrested on Sunday by detectives from the Utako Police Division.

The general was fatally stabbed during the robbery. Commissioner Igweh stated, “On June 23, 2024, at about 4:00 p.m., acting on credible intelligence, police operatives from the Utako Division led by CSP Victor Godfrey trailed and arrested four suspects: Ibrahim Rabiu, Nafiu Jamil, Aliyu Abdullahi, and Mohammed Nuhu. They are responsible for attacking, robbing, and killing Brigadier General Uwen Harold Udokwere (rtd.) on June 22, 2024, at his residence in Sunshine Homes Estate in Kabusa. The suspects confessed to the crime, stating they stabbed the General when he resisted with his pistols. The knife used in the crime and the deceased’s stolen phone were recovered. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects and recover the pistols taken from the deceased. The suspects will be charged to court at the end of the investigation.”

Rabiu Ibrahim recounted the incident, saying, “We stabbed the General with a knife. We went to rob him and collected laptops and phones. I was the one who killed him with a knife. I had two knives and stabbed him in the stomach, while another friend stabbed him in the shoulder. The General was struggling with us, which is why we killed him.”

Additionally, on May 26, 2024, at around 10:00 a.m., acting on credible intelligence, operatives from the FCT Police Command’s anti-kidnapping unit arrested Isa Mohammed Ibrahim, 30, of Kofina, Zuba, Abuja (an escapee from Kuje prison in 2022), and his brother, Nasiru Mohammed, also known as Danger. The suspects were part of a kidnapping syndicate that abducted 17 victims from Livestock Estate in Dei-Dei in December 2023 and collected substantial ransom payments before releasing them.

They confessed to the crime, admitting to receiving N400,000 and N300,000 from the ransom. They revealed that their syndicate, one of four terrorizing the FCT and its environs, is led by a sub-commander named Mallam, who is currently on the run, under the general leadership of Ardo, also at large.

The police recovered 91 rustled cattle, four sheep, and one AK-47 rifle from the suspects, who will soon be charged in court.

In a series of coordinated operations from June 12 to 14, 2024, the FCT Police Command’s anti-kidnapping unit arrested Sunday Musa, also known as Dan Gwari, 30, from Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State. Musa, the chief informant and logistics supplier to the kidnapping groups, confessed to facilitating the movement of nurses, hard drugs, and sex workers to the groups. He also handled financial transactions, distributing about N20,000,000 on behalf of the kidnappers and receiving N300,000 as compensation.

Commissioner Igweh reiterated his commitment to working with FCT residents to combat crime in all its forms.