Crime report
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Spousal deaths is fast becoming a regular occurrence among couples, with incidences of one too many. In this special report, our correspondent Joyce Remi-Babayeju, went on a fact finding mission to unravel circumstances leading to the death of Mrs. Caroline Samuel allegedly in the hands of her husband, Paul Samuel husband, and her nephew, Gabriel Micheal in their home at Kurudu a satellite town in Abuja, FCT.
The family of late Mrs. Caroline Samuel who was murder by her husband Paul Samuel who connived with her nephew, Gabriel Michael have called for justice for the untimely death of her younger sister.
The elder Sister, Mrs. Salome Akuh, a widow and retiree who spoke on behalf of the family in her home, are asking the Federal Government to give justice to their dead sister.
Mrs. Akuh who was trying to contain the shock with an emotional laden voice said ,” l want justice for Caroline my younger sister. All those involved in the death of my sister should face judgement because I want justice.”
” I want government to fish them out and eliminate them, as they did to my sister . All l want is justice”, she emphasized.
Late Mrs. Caroline Samuel was allegedly killed by her husband , Paul Samuel and her nephew, one Gabriel Micheal and a reportedly hired assassin who entered the estate on a ‘rubber rubber’ motorcycle in the morning of Wednesday 24th, 2024, at Police Housing Estate, Kurudu.
Some neighbours on condition of anonymity gave an eyewitness account on the murder incident:
A carpenter, Dogara Laya, living in the estate, said that at about 6:30 am on that Wednesday , he noticed a young man entered an uncompleted building facing the house of the deceased, House 5, Road 4, Police Housing Estate, Kurudu.
Dogara recounted, “The young man wearing a black nose mask, a face cap, a blue jean trousers and a red Corper shoes was making several calls until he walked very close to where I was lying, but he didn’t expect to see anyone in the uncompleted building, so immediately he saw me he was shock and stopped making the calls, so he started pressing his phone.
Face of Suspected killer
“I asked to know whom he was looking for that early morning, he said, a friend and he pointed to the opposite house which is house 5.”
” I offered him a seat and after about 30 minutes he removed his cap to fan himself because of heat. This was when I clearly saw his face, it was just the two of us then. He waited in the uncomplicated building until about 8:30 am before entering into the opposite building.”
“After a while he left and was seen entering the compound of the deceased , House 5, so my brother accosted him to know who he wanted to see.” My brother told him that it is wrong to enter into someone’s compound when there’s no one around.” Shortly after that, we didn’t see him again.”
Dogara said emphatically ” If see the picture of this man, I will recognize him.”
Some other neighbors who noticed some unusual movements by the young man and the ‘rubber rubber’ motorcyclist around house 5 Road 4 , in the morning before the gruesome murder was carried out, also gave a vivid picture of what they saw.
According to another male resident witness of the estate who doesn’t want his name mentioned, ” I saw the woman in the morning, but later that day I started getting unanimous calls at about 1:00 pm, people calling me to tell me that something happened in the estate, that a woman in the estate living in house 5 Road 4 has been stabbed to death, that her husband was apprehended by the Police men on duty at the entrance gate of the estate, and he has been handed over immediately to the Chief Security officer who reported the death incident at the police station who came down to the scene of crime.
“Nobody knew where he was taking the body of his wife to. He did not raise alarm about the death of his wife, but instead he pulled it into his car and was driving out of the estate gate before he was apprehended by the security. ”
“When he was asked where he was going with the dead body, he said he was going to Karshi, they insisted that they would not allow him to go without a Police man with him. Immediately the TYC Security officer rushed to the police station to lay the report.”
“I had gone out early in the day but on reaching the street, I gathered information from the Keke drivers who normally park at our junction and some neighbours about what had happened.”
Mr. Bright, not real name, said that the deceased, was a peaceful and friendly woman, but was shocked at the news of her death in the hands of her husband who claimed to be a pastor of his own church named Dominion Church , but that he gathered that he was expelled from Dunamis Church.
According to him, after the murder of Mrs. Samuel, the woman who washes their clothes for her family had witnessed the cause of some of the problem in the deceased home.
She said that Mrs. Samuel had often accused her younger sister of sleeping around with her husband and the nephew of molestations around the house.
Mr. Bright said, “The real reason behind this gruesome killing is that there has being serious bout of fights between the husband and wife since last year because the woman caught her husband having canal knowledge of her younger sister, and her nephew who was also sleeping around.”
“So the woman sent her younger sister away from her home after a family meeting where the lady owned up to sleeping with Mr. Paul Samuel, the husband of her elder sister. The younger sister has owned up to sleeping with her sister’s husband, Mr. Paul Samuel and had threatened to crush whoever will prevent her from marrying her sister’s husband.”
“Another eyewitness, a woman, told us in confidence that when she was working for the family, the woman quarrelled frequently with her nephew and asked him, why are you doing this in my house?
“You are a son to my brother, and because of that, the woman chased him away from her home. The boy and the girl are niece and nephew to the woman. So the two perpetrators became aggressive towards their sister.”
“It was also gathered that her senior brother who gave birth to the two of them . The father of the two are of the same father and mother with the woman.So the two perpetrators became aggressive towards their sister” , the neighbor narrated.
Police investigations–
Observers in the Police Housing Estate are however doubtful of the manner in which the Divisional Police Officer of Kurudu is handing the case. Some of them are questioning why the eyewitnesses have not been invited to give statements. While some people said that there have nocturnal visits into the deceased house, which indicates distortions of evidences.
A concerned neighbor said, “Since that day, we have noticed that some persons come at nights to open the compound, and stay there for a while before coming out, we fear they have tempered with all the evidences like the knives used in stabbing the woman and all blood stains. We wonder why the forensic report is not out until now.”
When Daybreak Nigeria visited Kurudu Police Station, the DPO, CSO, Bawa Musa confirmed the murder case, he said that only two suspects , Mr. Paul Samuel and Gabriel Micheal were arrested and have been transferred to the Homicide Department for further investigation , while the lady who was alleged to be sleeping with her sister’s husband who is suspected to be pregnant for her in- law is on the run, we will track her down, he assured.
The Divisional Crime Officer 1, Superintendent of Police,SP, Mudi Gambo said that it is forbidden for him to speak on the matter.
Also, all efforts to speak with the FCT Police Command PRO, Josephine Adeh were abortive, but when she eventually picked her call, she said, “We are still investigating.” ” Thank you.”
