The Niger State Police Command has apprehended Joy Afekafe, the 14-year-old housekeeper of Dr. Olufunmilola Adefolalu, in connection with the alleged killing of her employer, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology Minna. The Associate Professor met a gruesome end in her residence on Sunday.
Her lifeless body had been discovered in her home in the Gbaiko area of Minna, situated within the Bosso local government area of the state.
Concerned relatives and friends had attempted to contact her earlier in the day, but as the early hours of Sunday passed with no response, they became alarmed. A group of them decided to visit her home, where they made the horrifying discovery of her lifeless body in a pool of blood.
It was reported that two bloodstained knives, believed to have been used in the attack, were found at the scene. The deceased lecturer’s body was subsequently transported to IBB Hospital, Minna, where she was officially pronounced dead.
The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUT Minna Chapter, Dr. Bolarin Gbolahan, has expressed deep concern over this incident, saying, “It is distressing to witness academics facing growing threats. Kidnappings of our members have become an almost weekly occurrence in Keffi, and we can no longer feel secure in our own homes in Minna. The escalating insecurity is deeply troubling, and we must address it before more of us fall victim to this systemic failure.”
According to the spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, police investigations have revealed that the housekeeper carried out the attack in collaboration with her classmates, Walex and Smart, who are currently on the run.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of the deceased’s housemaid, Afekafe, on October 30, 2023, around 9 p.m. in the Gbeganu area of Minna.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed that she had served as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks but was laid off due to her misconduct. After being dismissed, she conspired with her classmates, Walex and Smart, to attack the lecturer at her residence. Afekafe detailed that they arrived at the lecturer’s residence on October 28, 2023, around 1600 hrs. with a motorcycle. She positioned herself at the gate, while Walex and Smart entered the house, where they brutally attacked the lecturer.
They not only took the deceased’s phone and laptop but also removed the battery from a vehicle parked in the compound before fleeing the scene.
The suspect will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and diligent prosecution, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
