Godwin Dauda was arrested in Kuje after the body of missing girl Christabel Albert was found inside a church well, police say.
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old church security guard, Godwin Dauda, over the alleged rape and death of an 11-year-old girl, Christabel Albert, in Suleja.
Police spokesman, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Friday, saying the incident followed a missing-person report lodged at the A Division Police Station in Suleja on September 20.
According to the police account, Christabel had left home on September 19 to attend a relative’s birthday ceremony in the area but did not return.
A pastor of the Apostolic Church in Suleja later alerted the police after a body was discovered inside a well on the church premises.
Police officers, assisted by officials from the local government welfare department, recovered the body and took it to General Hospital, Suleja, where it was identified as that of the missing girl.
Security Guard Arrested In Kuje
The police said investigators subsequently focused on Dauda, who was attached to the church as a security guard.
According to the command, suspicion fell on him after he allegedly fled the church premises following the discovery of the body.
Police said Dauda was arrested at about 8 p.m. on September 23 in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory, where he had reportedly gone to hide.
Abiodun said the suspect allegedly admitted during interrogation that he lured the girl into his security room at the church on September 19.
The police further alleged that Dauda told investigators that the girl died during the incident and that he subsequently disposed of her body in the church well before fleeing the area.
Investigation Underway
The Niger State Police Command said preliminary investigations into the case are ongoing.
The suspect is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.
The police allegations and reported confession have not been tested in court. Dauda remains a suspect, and any criminal responsibility will ultimately be determined through due legal process.
The case began with the child’s disappearance on September 19 and the subsequent discovery of her body the following day, according to the police account.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the need for the protection of children and prompt action when minors are reported missing.
As of the latest police account, authorities had not announced a court date or disclosed further details about the prosecution.
The investigation is expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding Christabel’s death and provide further evidence for any subsequent legal proceedings.
