The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 1, Tambari Y. Muhammad, yesterday said that the police was making a headway in the investigation into the killing of Professor Ahmad Mustapha Falaki, the Director, Institute of Agricultural Research at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
This followed an earlier report by the police in Bauchi that they arrested three persons in connection with the late don’s murder.
AIG Muhammad, who spoke in Kano on Monday, said that one of the nine persons fingered in the killing had been arrested.
“We have arrested one person and the names of people who participated in the killing of the professor are with us but they are on the run. The village, Fala, is now a ghost town as the people have all fled following the killing”, he said.
According to the AIG, the medical report from the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) on the professor, revealed that he died of assault and not of gunshot as previously alleged.
On the claim by the Bauchi State Police Command that three Boko Haram suspects had confessed to the killing, he said investigations showed otherwise.
“I’m not faulting the fact that they arrested three persons but it is not true that the suspects were the ones that killed the professor. The suspects are just saying it to boost their ego”, he said.
Assuring interested parties of proper action on the incident that has sparked outrage among members of the academia, particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which has threatened strike if the killers of the professor are not unmasked, AIG Muhammad said the policemen who were present at the scene of the killing had been quizzed.
“It is too premature to conclude that the police killed him but I’m assuring you that I don’t have any skeleton in my cupboard and we will ensure that the culprits are brought to justice”, he maintained.