Suspected hoodlums have allegedly stabbed a commercial cyclist to death and dumped his body near a riverbank in Bako village, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, before fleeing with his motorcycle.
The victim, identified as Yahuza, reportedly picked up two passengers from Dagiri on Saturday night around 9:43 p.m., who asked to be taken to the Bako forest area.
According to a resident of Bako village, Yasmin Abdullahi, the suspects had lured the cyclist by offering him N4,000 and claiming to be security personnel guarding a government facility located near the forest.
Vigilantes who were on a routine patrol in the area discovered the body while attempting to disperse individuals suspected of gathering in the forest to smoke cannabis.
“And you know there is this big bush which links from Gwagwalada to Bako forest where most of these youngsters including hoodlums always go to smoke hemp,” Abdullahi explained.
He added, “So, it was when the vigilantes went to the forest in order to dislodge people that always hang around the forest when the cyclist’s corpse was found close to the river.”
The vigilantes reportedly alerted security personnel, who visited the scene and recovered the body.
The deceased was later identified as a resident of Unguwar Dodo in Gwagwalada.
His fellow cyclists subsequently moved the corpse to the morgue at the Kwali General Hospital.
A member of the local vigilante group, Dantani Ismaila, confirmed the killing and said the assailants fled with the victim’s motorcycle after fatally stabbing him.
A police source at the Kwali division, who asked not to be named, also confirmed the incident.
He said an investigation is underway and expressed concern over the persistent activities of hoodlums who use the forest as a hideout for drug-related activities.
He noted that police have carried out multiple raids in the area and made several arrests but that challenges persist.
