The discovery of a man’s body beneath the Katampe Bridge along the Kubwa Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has taken a new turn, with police investigators tracing his final movements to a guest house in Gwarimpa and questioning a woman and two hotel workers over the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The man, whose identity has not been released by the police, was initially reported missing by his family. His lifeless body was later found under the bridge on Saturday.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the Command headquarters in Abuja.
According to Sanusi, the discovery had initially generated speculation that the deceased may have been a victim of kidnapping or “one chance” robbery.
However, police investigations subsequently established that the body belonged to the man whose family had earlier reported him missing.
“Beyond the media reports, however, there was a family grieving and struggling to understand what had happened to their loved one,” the CP said.
Sanusi explained that investigators discovered that the deceased’s mobile phone was missing, prompting them to track its last known activity.
“In the course of the investigation, we discovered that the deceased’s mobile phone was missing. This became a significant lead in the investigation, and our operatives commenced efforts to track the device and establish its last known location and usage,” he said.
Although the phone had been switched off, investigators reportedly traced the deceased’s last known communication to Mrs Rukayat Muhammed of Garki Area 2, Abuja.
The police commissioner said further inquiries indicated that Muhammed, a married woman, was allegedly in a romantic relationship with the deceased and had saved his contact under the name “Safiyat” on her phone.
The investigation subsequently led detectives to Good Samaritan Guest House on Second Avenue, Gwarimpa, where police said Muhammed and the deceased had allegedly lodged.
According to the police, Muhammed allegedly discovered that the man was no longer breathing but left the premises with his mobile phone instead of reporting the matter to law enforcement.
“Rather than immediately reporting the incident to the police, the suspect took the deceased’s mobile phone and left the hotel,” Sanusi said.
Police said hotel management later gained access to the room after attempts to reach the occupants proved unsuccessful and discovered the man’s body.
The commissioner alleged that two members of the hotel management, identified as Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus, subsequently removed the body from the room and transported it to the Kubwa Expressway area near Katampe.
“Instead of reporting the discovery to the police, two members of the hotel management identified as Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus subsequently removed the body from the room and transported it to Kubwa expressway by Katampe under the bridge where they dumped it by the roadside,” the CP said.
Despite the developments, police have yet to determine how the man died or what caused his death.
Sanusi cautioned against premature conclusions, stressing that investigators were still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the case.
“The exact cause and circumstances of the deceased’s death are still under investigation; other investigative processes are being pursued to determine the full facts of the case,” he said.
He added that anyone found to have played a role in the man’s death, or in the concealment and abandonment of his body, would be held accountable under the law.
The commissioner said the investigation underscores the command’s commitment to establishing the facts surrounding unexplained deaths before conclusions are drawn.
For the deceased’s family, the case has moved from a missing-person investigation to a deeper inquiry into the man’s final hours—from a Gwarimpa guest house to the roadside beneath a bridge in Abuja.
Police said investigations are continuing to establish exactly what happened and how the man died.
