By Femi Osinusi
The Bauchi State Police Command has launched a discreet investigation into the suspected homicide of 24-year-old Fatima Salihu Mohammed, whose decomposing body was discovered days after she was declared missing.
According to the command, Fatima, daughter of Salihu Mohammed Chimo, a staff of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, was last seen on September 24 when she was sent to buy groceries at Birshin Fulani but never returned home. Her family reported her missing the following day at ‘E’ Division Police Headquarters.
Police say a team of detectives, supported with surveillance expertise and tracking technology, was immediately deployed to trace her whereabouts. The search ended tragically on September 29 when the village head of Birshin Fulani alerted authorities after a farmer, Bashar Adamu, stumbled upon a foul odour while working on his family’s maize farm near the Polytechnic staff quarters. On inspection, Adamu found a decomposing female body.
Detectives led by Divisional Police Officer CSP Yahaya Yunusa arrived at the scene and identified the remains as Fatima. Her personal belongings, including the groceries she had purchased, were found beside her. The body was moved to the Federal Polytechnic clinic, where a medical practitioner confirmed her death before it was released to her family for burial.
Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered a discreet but thorough probe, assigning a team of seasoned homicide investigators to unravel the circumstances of Fatima’s death. The command pledged that all evidence will be pursued and suspects identified to ensure justice is served.
Police spokesperson CSP Ahmed Wakil urged members of the public to remain calm and assured that the investigation would be handled with transparency and diligence.
