Date: 2016-08-14

Contrary to the initial belief that a member of the Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Abdulkareem Tunde Abdulrahman, was missing, the medical officer was allegedly clubbed to death in his father's residence in Ilorin. The victim, it was learnt at the weekend, was killed around 1am on July 24, the exact day he was declared missing. Prime suspect in the murder, Jamiu Mohammed, who is a son of the private security guard at the residence of the deceased's father, Barrister Abdulrahman Alarape Adeyi at Plot 3, Professor Awe Close, Off Abdulkareem Adisa Street, GRA, Ilorin, is now at large.

He allegedly perpetrated the heinous crime in connivance with two others, said to be undergoing interrogation in the detention facility of security operatives. The Herald On Sunday gathered that the suspect, an ex-convict alongside two other accomplices stormed the room of the deceased in the dead of the night and used harmful objects to hack him to death in his father's residence. The lifeless body of the medical doctor was said to have been smuggled in his Toyota Corolla car and driven out that night to an unknown destination. A family source told our correspondent that the father of the prime suspect, who is a security guard at the deceased father's residence, feigned ignorance at the time the murder was committed.

It was learnt that series of efforts by the police to extract information on the whereabouts of the doctor from the guard proved futile until security operatives waded in. The Herald On Sunday was told that the guard denied severally ever knowing anything about the death of 34-year old Tunde Abdulrahman, whose wedding programme was to start on August 13 this year. The prime suspect allegedly terminated the life of the medical doctor to avenge the death of his mother who died of cholera two years ago, even though the parent of the late doctor shouldered the expenses for the burial of the suspect's late mother. A source confided in our correspondent that the suspect and his siblings, who have been living in the deceased father's residence in the last ten years, were unhappy over the demise of their mother and thus sought all avenues to take revenge.

The deceased's two mobile phones were allegedly tracked and later found in the possession of two other suspects, who are currently helping security personnel to unravel how and why the life of Tunde Abdulrahman was terminated. The Herald On Sunday also gathered that the prime suspect was also seen by yet to be identified persons around Challenge area in Ilorin cruising in the deceased’s car shortly after committing the crime but later vanished into thin air. He also made away with all the belongings of the deceased in his room, it was learnt. The father of the suspect, a Bennoise, was reported to be providing clues on how the doctor was killed and his corpse driven away to unknown destination. A source said, "On the day Tunde (Abdulrahman) was declared missing, the father of the suspect claimed the deceased drove himself out around 5am without telling anyone where he was heading to.

"The father of the suspect did not initially cooperate with the security personnel. He denied ever knowing anything about the death of Tunde Abdulrahman. When they mounted pressure on him, he started making confessional statements. "He has told them (security team) that it was his son, Jamiu, who connived with other accomplices to kill our son. They came in the afternoon of the preceding day of the incident under the pretense of making inquiry on unknown issues. Unknown to Tunde (the deceased), they deliberately came to assess the environment in preparation for the evil plot to be committed later that night.

"To our surprise, the prime suspect who was released from Prison in March this year for a certain criminal offence, on that fateful night, came with his accomplices and they went straight into the apartment of Tunde where they hacked him to death in his room. "After accomplishing their heinous mission, they dragged his body into the booth of his car and drove away to an unknown destination. It was when his two mobile phones were tracked that the truth started coming out about how and who killed him".

Abdulrahman was until his gruesome murder, a medical officer with Hospital Management Bureau, deployed to General Hospital in Omu- Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the arrest of some suspects who are now undergoing interrogation with security operatives. The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Kwara State branch, Dr. Kunle Olawepo, on July 31, raised the alarm that a doctor in the state, Dr AbdulKareem Tunde-AbdulRahman, was missing.

He said Tunde-AbdulRahman, who is a member of NMA, Kwara State branch, drove out in his navy blue Toyota Corolla car, from his residence in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at 6am last Sunday and had since not been seen. It was gathered that the missing doctor wore a shirt and trousers as of the time he left his Ilorin residence. Olawepo, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin, said the missing doctor was working with the Kwara State Government and was posted to the General Hospital, Omu-Aran, lrepodun Local Government Area of the state.

He added that Tunde-AbdulRahman was living in Omu-Aran, where he worked, but at weekends, stayed in his father’s residence in Ilorin. Olawepo said, "The missing doctor was seen last Sunday morning before he drove out of the house. Since then, we have not seen him. There is no lead to his whereabouts." He stated that members of the association had made efforts to find him.

Source: HeraldNews