Nigerian Army uncovers shallow grave where corpse of the missing general was buried and exhumed

The Nigerian Army has uncovered a shallow grave where suspected hoodlums had initially buried the corpse of its former Chief of Administration, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Idris Alkali (retd).  

The shallow grave, the Army said, was in ‘No Man’s Land,’ and had been identified by four different suspects at different times of arrest.  The General Officer Commanding 3 Armoured Division in Rukuba Barracks, Maj. Gen. Benson Akinroluyo, at a press conference, claimed that the suspects took troops on the search-and-rescue operation to the spot where the corpse of the missing officer was allegedly exhumed and reburied in a yet-to-be-identified place.  

According to him, perpetrators of the act shared the belongings of the missing officer after he was abducted.  Alkali, who was said to have disappeared in questionable circumstances, was said to have retired a few weeks before he was declared missing on Monday, September 3, 2018, a day after gunmen swooped on Dura-Du District and killed about 13 persons.

Gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, having pumped the water from the abandoned mining pit for 2 weeks or thereabout despite protests by women attributing all kinds of mythical affliction that would befall their husbands and children, the following were recovered:

a. On 21 September 2018, recovery of a door of a white bus.

b. On 29 September 2018, a black Toyota Corolla Car with registration number KWARA MUN 670 AA, a customized T-Shirt with Nigerian Army Logo and the General’s name inscribed on it, as well as a pair of canvass shoe belonging to the deceased senior officer.

c. On 2 October 2018, a white Toyota LiteAce bus with registration number PLATEAU RYM 307 XA, which was reported missing with the driver on 24 June 2018 and a red Rover car with registration number BAUCHI AG 645 TRR which was allegedly reported to have been buried along with the occupants on 31 January 2013.

You will have the opportunity to interact with the families of the owners of the Toyota LiteAce Bus and Rover car immediately after this press briefing.

On 29 September 2018, when the general’s black Toyota Corolla car was recovered from the abandoned mining pit, those involved and those not involved in the killing of the senior officer held a meeting to relocate his corpse away from the community. This is because of the inherent danger it would attract to the community. Consequently, a 10 man team was constituted to relocate his corpse earlier buried in a shallow grave within the community to elsewhere. A specialist in preservation of corpse was contracted. The specialist assisted in exhuming his corpse from the shallow grave to elsewhere. Only few trusted members of the community knew where his corpse was relocated to. The specialist is currently in our custody. Again, this is an attempt to cover up the heinous crime committed by the community. There exist other evidence and indicators that pointed to the fact that those who were involved in the killing of the senior officer are being supported and backed by community leaders within the Dura-Du District. In recent times, they have been staging press conferences and writing petitions in order to smear the image of the Division in particular and the Nigerian Army in general. This Division will not yield to the antics or blackmail by those who have committed this dastardly crime. Therefore, the following people at large have been declared wanted by the relevant authority based on their degree of culpability in the killing of the senior officer:

a. Da Chuwang Samuel ( aka MORINHO). He is 28 years old and a panel beater by profession. He hails from Doi Du village area of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. He was believed to be the master mind in the assault and killing of Major General Idris Alkali.

b. Mr Nyam Samuel (aka SOFT TOUCH). He is 25 years old and a panel beater by profession as well as younger brother of “Morinho”. He was believed to have been involved in the assault and killing of the senior officer.

c. Mr Pam Gyang Dung ( aka BOSS). He hails from Latya 2 Doi Du Village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. His profession is farming and mining. He is also the Mai Anguwa of Latya 2. “Boss” who is 53 years old is a friend to “Morinho”. He was also believed to be involved in the killing of Major General Idris Alkali.

d. Mr Mathew Wrang (aka AMESCO). He is 27 years old. In addition, one locally made pistol was recovered from his house during cordon and search operation.

e. Mr Moses Gyang (aka BOSS). He is Pam Gyang Dung, aka “Boss” son. He is 25 years old.

f. Mr Timothy Chuan. He is 26 years old. He is a tipper driver and also a sand vendor by profession. He was identified to have driven the senior officer’s car to Dura village and subsequently pushed it into the abandoned mining pit filled with water.

g. Da Yakubu Rap. He is 52 years old and the district head of Dura village. He co - chaired the meeting held to relocate the corpse of the senior officer from a shallow grave to elsewhere immediately his car was found in the abandoned mining pit filled with water.

h. Mr Chuwang Istifanus Pwajok Stephen (aka TIFA). He is 46 years old and a surveyor/business man by profession. He participated in the meeting held to relocate the corpse of the senior officer from a shallow grave to elsewhere after his car was found in the abandoned mining pit filled with water.

Please note that 4 different sources not known to each other at various times took us to the opened shallow grave where the senior officer was earlier buried but subsequently removed. Furthermore, sniffer dogs that have been cultured with the personal effects of the senior officer led us to the same opened shallow grave. That was the only grave we were led to by different people and sniffer dogs. We did not go to any other grave as the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence. Like I always say, the cordon and search operation is intelligence driven and that is why the operation has been conducted in line with international best practices and respect for human rights. This further explains why the Division did not clamp down on the entire community. Only the perpetrators are being targeted.