Court Hears Horrific Testimony on General Alkali's Death

Court Hears Horrific Testimony on General Alkali's Death: Body Allegedly Dismembered, Moved Twice Before Discovery

Fresh revelations have emerged in the trial over the 2018 killing of the late Major General Idris Alkali, as a retired senior Nigerian Army officer told a High Court in Jos how the former military officer was allegedly murdered, dismembered and secretly buried before his remains were eventually recovered after weeks of investigation.

Testifying before the court, retired Major General Umaru Ibrahim Muhammed, who led the Nigerian Army's search and rescue operation after Alkali was declared missing, recounted the painstaking investigation that uncovered what he described as a gruesome crime.

According to the witness, General Alkali left Abuja for Bauchi in September 2018 and made his last known phone call while passing through Dura-Du village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Moments later, his phone became unreachable, and he never arrived at his destination. His family officially reported him missing three days later.

Muhammed said he was assigned by the Army to locate the missing officer, recover his black Toyota Corolla, and identify those responsible for his disappearance.

Investigators searched hospitals and police stations before tracing General Alkali's last phone signal to Dura-Du village, prompting a large-scale search of the community.

The retired officer told the court that security operatives searched 32 abandoned mining ponds in the area but encountered resistance from some residents, who allegedly mobilised hundreds of women to stop the operation.

Despite the opposition, the Army brought in fire service equipment from Taraba State and divers from Bauchi State to drain one of the ponds. On September 29, 2018, General Alkali's Toyota Corolla was recovered from the water with his military uniform, shoes, cap and other personal belongings still inside.

The search also uncovered several other abandoned vehicles, including a bus linked to a driver who had been missing for seven years, a red Rover vehicle, motorcycles, tricycles and a tipper truck.

Muhammed further testified that one of the suspects later led investigators to a shallow grave where General Alkali had initially been buried. He said the suspects confessed that after killing the senior officer, they dragged his body around the village before burying it in what they described as "no man's land."

However, by the time investigators arrived with a trained sniffer dog, the body had allegedly been exhumed and moved.

According to the witness, further investigations led to a mortician who allegedly admitted transporting the remains in two bags. The trail eventually led investigators to Buchwet village, about 10 kilometres from Dura-Du, where General Alkali's remains were recovered on October 30, 2018.

A forensic pathologist later examined the remains and reportedly concluded that the victim had suffered severe injuries, including a skull split into two, indicating a brutal killing. Medical records and X-rays provided by the late general's family were also said to have matched the recovered remains.

Another prosecution witness, Major Arashinga Bulus, confirmed his involvement in the investigation and told the court that 21 suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

The trial continues as the court hears further evidence in one of Nigeria's most high-profile murder cases involving a senior military officer.