THE Police Force Headquarters on Friday said missing Vanguard newspaper reporter, Mr Tordue Salem, was knocked down and killed by a hit-and-run driver, spokesperson of the police, Mr Frank Mba, disclosed while parading the suspect, Itoro Clement.
The late reporter covered the House of Representatives for the Vanguard newspaper. He was last seen on October 13, 2021 in Abuja.
According to the police, the body of Mr Salem’s body was found on Thursday and that the suspect was arrested following an investigation carried out by the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB).
Mr Mba said the suspect confessed to have hit Mr Salem with his car at about 10pm on the night of October 13, 2021 around Mabushi area in Abuja, but ran away.
According to the suspect, he did not stop after hitting Mr Salem. “I thought it was an armed robber that I knocked down until the following day when I saw a smashed phone on my windscreen. The phone was not working again so I threw it away,” the paraded suspect said.
He explained that he did not wait after the accident as the area where the incident occurred is a well-known crime spot. “The place I knocked this person down is a criminal place; everybody knows that place,” he said.
According to the suspect, he instead drove to Wuse area of Abuja where he reported at a police checkpoint and was advised to report the matter at the police station, and advise he did not heed. He said he drove straight to a private park call Good Friend garage in Mpape area where he left the car for the night.
The suspect also stated that it was when he returned the following day to the car that he saw a smashed mobile phone on the car’s windscreen which he threw away at the park before he left the area.
