UPDATED: How colleague tricked, ‘killed’ KEDCO official

Bello Bukar Adamu, a Kano resident, was declared missing after receiving what was supposed to be an urgent call from Sadiq, a young man believed to be his confidant and colleague at Kano State Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).

Two days later, his corpse was found at a backstreet at a location in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

But the electricity company said Sadiq was no longer its staff member as of the time the incident occurred.

Abdullahi Abubakar, Bello’s younger brother, said his late bother was at home around 12pm on Sunday, May 5, 2024, when he received an urgent call from Sadiq.

He said that they were aware that Bello had a job deal with some people and he was confident of securing the offer.

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Abubakar said, “Bello was desperately looking for a Federal Inland Revenue Service job offer. He was so hopeful. He was working with Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and wanted to join FIRS. And somebody was soliciting the offer for him.

“When he received a phone call in relation to the job offer, he asked his wife to bring his car key and went to the person waiting from him. Since then we never heard from him.

“Since he did not return that Sunday. We decided to track his calls. The last word of his conversation with the person on the other end was Alhamdulillah. From this we understood that he was lured into believing that the offer was ready made.

We searched for Bello like eternity

Abdullahi said the family members searched for Bello endlessly, but they could not find him.

He said, “We went out in search for him from a mortuary to another; from one hospital to another and from one police station to another. We went to every place we thought corpses could be kept. Yet he was nowhere to be found. We returned home weak.”

Abdullahi said they thought their brother was kidnapped and were expecting the abductors to demand a ransom. But nobody called them to do so.

He added, “On Monday we were at MTD Kano to track his last call again when we received a call from somebody informing us that a corpse was found in Kumbotso LGA and was taken to a police station; and later Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. It was our brother’s corpse. He was gruesomely killed.

“He was apparently killed on that very Sunday and his corpse was deposited somewhere in Kumbotso Local Governement Area of Kano State.

“Tracking testified that Bello’s last call was with Sadiq with whom he worked at KEDCO. Based on police investigation, Sadiq was found complicit. Sadiq later confessed to killing Bello, even though investigation is ongoing.

“His car was later recovered, but his phones couldn’t be found. And Sadiq confessed he participated in the killing of Bello. But we don’t know yet who are Sadiq’s accomplices.”

On Tuesday hundreds of relatives and well-wishers gathered at Gama B where Bello was buried.

Abdullahi said that the family members were in severe pain because Bello trusted Sadiq.

He said, “When Sadiq was sacked from KEDCO, Bello called him back. And they worked together. When Bello was promoted, he made sure Sadiq was reinstated. They worked together until his death. We saw him as our brother’s confidant and subordinate.”

My last moment with Bello

“My last moment with Bello was on Friday. I met him at home. We attended a burial rite of a neighbour together. When we returned home, he told me that he was expecting something, which he said if it materialised he would throw a big party. Unfortunately here we are mourning him. He is gone forever. May Allah forgive him,” Abdullahi recalled.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, told our correspondent on the phone that Sodiq had been arrested and investigation was ongoing.

When contacted, KEDCO spokesperson, Bala Sani, said he could not comment on the issue officially yet, adding that the management would meet Thursday afternoon.

The accused not our staff –KEDCO

Sani Bala, the spokesperson of KEDCO, said that the news of the passing of Malam Bello Bukar was very tragic and shoking, saying he was one of the most hardworking and dedicated officials of the company.

He said, “It was very shoking and sad for the company. He was one of the most hardworking and dedicated staff of the company.

“Honestly the deceased and the suspect had a cordial working relationship, even though the suspect was not our staff at the time of the incident.

“The cause of the death is currently being investigated by the police. But we understood that it is a personal thing between them not official. The accused is not our staff.”