3 weeks ago
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Some scavengers popularly known as “pantekas” beat a 19-year-old man identified as Sefilahi Danlami to death at their market on Saturday.
The incident occurred at the popular Panteka market in the Mpape area of the Federal Capital Territory.
It was gathered that one of the scavengers known Ibrahim Dahiru accused the deceased of stealing from him and made futile efforts to apprehend him.
Dahiru was said to have raised the alarm, prompting his colleagues to join in chasing Danlami.
A resident of the area, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent on Saturday that Dahiru and his colleagues eventually caught up with Danlami and beat him until he died.
The resident said, “Some ‘pantekas’ beat a 19-year-old man to death here in Mpape. One of them accused him of theft. He tried to catch him but couldn’t. So, he called on his colleagues to help.
“They caught him (Danlami) and ended up beating him to death in their market. Both the guy and his colleagues ran away after realising he was dead.
The Commissioner of Police should come and clear them from this place; they’re always causing problems.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, adding that Dahiru has been arrested.
She said, “It is a case of culpable homicide at Panteka market in Mpape, FCT. A distress call was received by Mpape Police Division, FCT Police Command, on November 1, 2024.
“Police operatives were dispatched to the scene, and one suspect, Ibrahim Dahiru, 22 years old, was arrested.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had mobilised seven of his friends currently at large to attack the deceased, Sefilahi Danlami, 19, resulting in his death. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the facts, and updates will be provided in due course.”
This incident comes less than a week after the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, toured scavenger markets across the nation’s capital and warned that criminal acts by scavengers would not be tolerated.
