34-year-old man, Maaruf Sarki, who reportedly killed his landlord Tasiu Shittu, in Kontagora area of Niger State, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command.
Confessing to the crime, the suspect told newsmen that he was contracted to kill his landlord by a business associate (currently on the run), who offered to pay him N2 million. After killing his landlord, Maaruf reportedly buried his landlord in a shallow grave and also stole N1.7 million from the deceased including an unregistered Honda car.
The suspect who fled to Sokoto after committing the crime, but was arrested by detectives from his hideout, said;
“I used local medicine to kill the man and buried him inside the house, which I rented from him. I was hired to kill him by one of his business associates. I regret the action.”
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mohammad Abubakar, who confirmed the report said Maaruf killed and buried one Tasiu Shittu, in a shallow grave inside a rented apartment in Kontagora.
He explained that the apartment was rented out to the suspect by the deceased, adding that the suspect has led detectives to the shallow grave and that the body has been exhumed for autopsy.
Recall that few months ago, it was reported that 40-year-old Ime reportedly attacked his landlord, Mr. Edem Akpan and his wife, Affiong, with matchete before setting the house on fire.
One of the daughters to the late couple, Ms. Emem Akpan, disclosed that trouble started when her father gave Ime a quit notice. She said Ime had threatened that if her father insisted on sending him (Ime) out, he would kill him and burn down the house.
She said, “Two days ago, we saw him bringing worn out tyres into the compound. We didn’t know he had a plan. Yesterday (Sunday), before we left for church in the evening, he brought 20 litres of fuel, more than what his generator could contain. “A neighbour asked him what he wanted to do with such quantity of fuel, but he told him that he was going to run the generator overnight. This is what we saw this morning as we returned from church – the fuel and worn out tyres were weapons used by the assailant to kill my parents.”
