Police arrest church guard over death of girl,11, in Suleja

The police have arrested a 26-year-old church security guard, Godwin Dauda, over the death of an 11-year-old girl, Christabel Albert, whose body was found inside a well on the church premises in Suleja.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the incident followed a missing-person report filed at “A” Division, Suleja, on September 20, after the girl reportedly left home the previous day to attend a relative’s birthday ceremony but did not return.

According to him, a pastor of the Apostolic Church, Suleja, later alerted the police after a dead body was discovered inside a well within the church premises.

Police operatives, assisted by local government welfare officials, recovered the body and deposited it at the General Hospital, Suleja, where it was later identified as that of the missing girl.

The PPRO said detectives subsequently focused their investigation on Mr Dauda, who was attached to the church as a security guard and had allegedly fled the premises following the incident.

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He said the suspect was arrested at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory, where he was reportedly hiding.

Mr Abiodun said the suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation to luring the girl into his security room on 19 September, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, leading to her death.

He added that the suspect allegedly dumped the girl’s body inside the well in an attempt to conceal the crime before fleeing the area.

The police said the investigation is ongoing, while the suspect is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.