From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
A witness in the trial of 25 persons arrested in connection with the disappearance and murder of army general, Maj. Gen. I. M Alkali, Maj AM Mairuwa, has narrated how some youths in Plateau staged a protest to prevent an investation team from carrying out the search for the missing general.
Twenty five persons were arraigned before a Jos High Court in connection with the incident.
Alkali disappeared on 3 September 2018 around Dura Du Village in Jos, Plateau State while driving to Bauchi from Abuja along Abuja – Jos Road.
The case, which came up before the court on Wednesday bordered on the criminal trial of the 25 defendants, who accused of gruesomely murdering the late army officer.
A statement signed by the Media Officer, Operation Safe Haven OPSH, Capt. Oya James, said that the prosecution team led by Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama and the Acting Deputy Director Legal Services 3 Division, Maj AM Mairuwa, were in court to present the witnesses who testified on the matter.
The first witness while testifying revealed how Headquarters 3 Division was tasked to search and rescue the General.
He described to the court the site where the deceased General’s vehicle was dumped inside a pond.
According to him, through diligent efforts, the pond was evacuated and the vehicle discovered.
He further informed the court how some youth and women of the area attempted to frustrate the search operations by their provocative acts, but the troops remained professional in their task.
Mairuwa added that the search led to the arrest of a mortician who was engaged in exhuming the remains of the General that were earlier buried in a shallow grave within the vicinity of the pond. He also narrated how the body was relocated to another site 10km away and reburied by the suspects. The witness added that the body of the General was finally recovered and the killers admitted their various roles in the heinous act.
“During his presentation, the witness testified with graphic sequence of events. He also acquainted the court on how the recovered body was subjected to forensic investigations by an expert Pathologist that scientifically proved that it was the remains of Major General IM Alkali.
“The second Prosecution Witness on his part reiterated the testimony of the previous witness. He noted that credible human intelligence pointed to the culpability of some people around Dura Du area which made the 3 Division Team to conduct an intense search operations.
“This he said led to the discovery of the remains of the late General and the uncovering those behind his murder. He told the court how the areas of interest to the case were secured by the Army for effective search and rescue operations.
The statement said that the court adjourned for 6 November 2023 to enable the third and last witnesses to bring forward the relevant pictures and video clips as documentary evidence as well as for the Pathologist to testify before the court.
General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN, Major General AE Abubakar, while commending the team, affirmed the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TA Lagbaja to ensure the case was pursued to a logical conclusion and those found culpable brought to book within the provisions of the law.