Asokoro masked killer nabbed by police – Says one of his victims always embarrassed him

According to a resident, at about 10.30pm on that fateful day, Mr. Fatai of IBB International Golf Club returned from work. He went to his wife’s shop where his 18-year-old sister-in-law, Patience Christopher, from Edo and her friend, Esther Yakubu from Bauchi, were already waiting for him so that they could all go home together.When […]

According to a resident, at about 10.30pm on that fateful day, Mr. Fatai of IBB International Golf Club returned from work. He went to his wife’s shop where his 18-year-old sister-in-law, Patience Christopher, from Edo and her friend, Esther Yakubu from Bauchi, were already waiting for him so that they could all go home together.
When they got home that night, the door was intact just as they had left it in the morning. They all went into the house and switched on the light in the living-room. Patience proceeded to the kitchen while Mr. Fatai went into the bedroom thereby leaving Esther in the living room. While in the bedroom, Fatai reached out and switched the bedroom light, but the room was still dark, but he later realised that the bulb had been removed. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Before he could turn around, he received several cuts all over his body and cried out for help. When Esther who was in the living room heard Mr Fatai shouting from his room, she ran towards the direction but was confronted by the assailant who was wearing a mask and carrying a cutlass and knife in his hands.
The assailant stabbed her and she grabbed the blade of the knife and the assailant drew the knife forcefully, leaving her fingers cut. As she turned to run out of the house, he landed the cutlass on her back.
According to a close relation of Abdul-fatai, “While this was happening, Patience who was in the kitchen, on hearing the shouts, ran towards the direction and confronted him. He attacked her and stabbed her all over.  Patience struggled with him and succeeded in removing the mask before she was finally overpowered. When she fell down, the assailant gave her the final stab on the back.
The source said when residents heard the shouts, they ran to the apartment to assist the victims, they realized the criminal came in through a small window at the backyard and had left through the same window. They found Patience dead and Mr. Fatai was also in his room, dead.
When neighbours realized that the assailant had escaped through a back window, they decided to save the lives of those who were still alive by taking them to the State House Clinic in Asokoro where they are receiving treatment. Surgeons stitched many parts of Mr Fatai and administered drips and he seemed to be recovering but he had lost much blood and died at about 6am the following day, Saturday.
A relation of late Fatai Adediran said Fatai was 35 years old and hailed from Ibadan in Oyo State; Esther was 21 while Patience is 18 years old.  He added that whenever Mrs Adediran was away, Patience took care of the shop. She had been away for a week when the incident happened.
Patience told the police that after unmasking the assailant, she identified him to be one Gambo Aliyu who lived in the third apartment away from theirs. Gambo’s father who also helped in carrying the victims to the hospital was surprised when he heard that the assailant was his son. That Friday, Gambo did not sleep at home.
The source added that the police searched for him in their house but could not find him, and decided to detain his parents. His mother was later released in order for her to look for her son. While she was doing that the police was equally digging out vital information regarding his whereabouts. On the morning of Saturday, September 26, the police traced Gambo to Mararaba at his uncle’s house.   
The DPO of Asokoro Police Command, Chief Superintendent of Police Ahmed Musa disclosed to Weekly Trust that they received the report about 11pm on Friday, September 25 and moved immediately to the scene at OVA Camp near Command Guest House in Asokoro in Abuja. “When we got there, we discovered the victims had been rescued and taken to the hospital. We also discovered the suspect entered the house through a window at the backyard. About 11am on Saturday, the suspect was arrested. After his arrest, he admitted that he committed the crime. We recovered from him a mask, a cutlass, and a knife. On Saturday evening, he took us to a place near the scene and showed us where he hid the second knife he used in committing the crime.”
CSP Ahmed Musa added that during interrogation, the suspect disclosed that he carried out the act because Esther Yakubu hated him and always embarrassed him, saying that was how he also developed hatred for her and therefore prepared to kill her.
“At the hospital, when we asked the victims whether they had quarrelled with anyone that day, Esther said on the day the incident happened, she had a quarrel with a man who stood in the way of customers who wanted to buy items at the shop. When she told him to leave, he started quarrelling with her. Esther’s description and that of Patience who unmasked the suspect were clear indications that it was Gambo Aliyu, their neighbour, who carried out the brutality. I therefore ordered for his arrest.”
Gambo’s mother, Mrs Aisha Aliyu told Weekly Trust that she was surprised when she heard that it was Gambo who carried out the act. She said Gambo was a weak person. “I can’t understand how or why.”