Police arrest Suleja church guard for rape, murder of 11-year-old whose body found in well
Police have arrested 26-year-old church security guard Godwin Dauda for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Christabel Albert in Suleja. The girl's body was discovered inside a well on the premises of the Apostolic Church in Suleja after she went missing following a relative's birthday ceremony on September 19.
According to Police Public Relations Officer Wasiu Abiodun, a missing-person report was filed at 'A' Division Suleja on September 20 after Christabel left home to attend the ceremony but did not return. A pastor later alerted police after finding the body in the church well. Police recovered the body and deposited it at General Hospital Suleja where it was identified as Christabel's.
Detectives focused on Dauda, who allegedly fled the church premises after the incident. He was arrested at approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory where he was reportedly hiding. During interrogation, Dauda allegedly confessed to luring Christabel into his security room on September 19, sexually assaulting her, and dumping her body in the well to conceal the crime.
The police stated the investigation is ongoing and Dauda is expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and prosecution. No additional details about motive or potential accomplices have been released.