Police arrest suspect over killing of retired army general in Abuja

Benneth Igweh, the commissioner of police in the federal capital territory (FCT), says Hashiru Baku, a suspect, has been arrested over the killing of Harold Udokwere, a retired brigadier general, in Abuja.

The retired brigadier was killed in his residence at Sunshine estate in Abuja on June 21.

While parading the suspect in Abuja on Monday, Igweh said the operatives arrested Baku in a hotel in Kano on July 17.

The commissioner said the service pistol of the retired army general, stolen by his killers, was recovered from the residence of the suspect.

He said the suspect had been arrested in 2022 for armed robbery and sentenced to prison, but escaped during the Kuje jailbreak two years ago.

“Sequel to an earlier achievement of the command where some suspects were arrested on 23/06/2024 for the murder of a retired brigadier general Uwen Harold in his residence on 21/06/2024, his service pistol and some ammunition were carted away,” the police commissioner said.

“Police operatives from Utako division in a covert operation led by CSP Victor Godfrey trailed and apprehended the gang leader, one Hashiru Marazu Baku ‘M’ at Chile Hotel in Kano state on the 17/07/2024.

“In a follow up operation by the same team of police operatives on the 19/07/2024, the said service pistol of the late brigadier general was recovered with two rounds of 9mm live ammunition in Mararaba Nasarawa state at about 02:00AM.

“Some other exhibits recovered from the residence of the suspect include a wristwatch belonging to the wife of the late brigadier general, other jewelries and seventy-nine (79) bottles of 100ml of codeine.

“It is important to note that the same Hashiru Marazu Bako was once arrested in 2022 at Wuse zone 6 for armed robbery and was prosecuted and sentenced to Kuje Correctional Facility, from where he broke out during the 22/05/2022 Kuje jailbreak.”