Police confirm killing of Unijos lecturer, arrest one suspect

The Police Command in Plateau has confirmed the killing of Dr Nandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos, by gunmen.

Mr Edward Egbuka, the Commissioner in-charge of the command confirmed the incident at a news briefing on Sunday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen stormed the residence of the deceased in the early hours of Saturday, shot him and kidnapped his six-year-old daughter.

According to Egbuka, the police immediately mobilised to the scene and engaged the criminals in a gun duel and arrested one of them.

He also confirmed that the kidnapped daughter of the deceased was also rescued from the abductors.

“Yesterday, at about 5:30 a.m., we received a distress call from Road 6, University senior staff quarters, Jos, where some hoodlums entered the house of one Dr Nandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos, shot him and kidnapped his six-year-old daughter.

“Immediately we received the information, a combined team of conventional police men, mobile men, the anti kidnapping unit, vigilantes and hunters were deployed to the hilly areas where the kidnapped victim was suspected to have been kept.

“The scene was thoroughly combed and in the process, the kidnappers were sighted on the hills and there was a gun duel between them and the security men.

“In the process one of the kidnappers, Ali Mohammed, was shot on his right leg and was arrested with one AK 47 rifle and 29 rounds of live ammunition was recovered.

“Consequently, the deceased kidnapped daughter alongside another victim, Chiboze Joseph, were rescued unhurt,” he said.

The commissioner said after preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime, adding that he would be charged to court after investigation.
He said that manhunt for other fleeing members of the gang continued and vowed that the command would not rest on its oars until they are arrested.

The commissioner, however, regretted that one of the hunters was shot during the gun duel and was later confirmed dead.

Egbuka appealed to Plateau residents with useful information that would lead to arrest of the remaining criminals to avail it to the police.

He also called on the residents of the state to promptly report any suspicious movements around their vicinities to the security agencies.