Sauka community along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road was last Friday thrown into pandemonium when the lifeless body of a cab driver, popularly known as Aki, aged 34, was found dangling near a stream notoriously known as a rendezvous for hard drug peddling and smoking Indian hemp.
LEADERSHIP learnt from a source who pleaded anonymity that the victim might have hanged himself after he was alleged to have stolen a GSM phone valued N15, 000 belonging to his neighbour in the multi-tenanted apartment where he resided till his demise.
It was gathered that the deceased, Aki, had lived in Abuja for over 10 years and had lived at Sauka suburb for about five years.
The build-up to his death began Thursday when a certain Ms Loveth Chidoke reported that her GSM phone was missing and it was alleged that she uncovered that her phone was missing when she went to fetch water from the stream.
She was said to have hurriedly returned home where she was told that the late Aki was the one who stole it and a few minutes later, the deceased was said to have returned but denied stealing the phone upon enquiry.
According to Chidoke, “Aki was the only person who entered the compound when I left. Before I came back, he had left the house. I couldn’t run after him because I was half-dressed. He had gone out of the compound. I had always given him the phone which I bought not long ago for N15,000 to charge.”
Chidoke said Aki was exposed when a diviner revealed that he stole the phone and that Aki later confessed to the crime but said he had sold the phone for N5,000 and threw the SIM cards into a river.
The deceased was said to have promised that he would sell his electronics to refund the money.
However, on Friday, Aki’s lifeless body was discovered alond the road leading to the stream. The death was later reported at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Academy located in the area.
The chief security officer of the academy, Edwin Ugwuja, an assistant commandant, who confirmed the incident to LEADERSHIP said, “When I came to the office this morning around 7am, I was notified that somebody hanged himself here in the village. I mobilised my men and came to the scene of the incident. As it is, investigation will be carried out. We took his corpse to the Nigerian Air Force Base hospital for confirmation.”
