Doctor murdered, set ablaze in Zamfara

The Zamfara state police command has said it has started investigation into the death of Enoch Okpara, a medical doctor, who was murdered and burnt by unknown assailants.

Okpara, a consultant obstetrics/gynaecologist working at the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau was found lifeless at his home in Mareri area in the state capital on Saturday.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, Shehu Mohammed confirmed the incident.

He said Usman Nagogo, the Zamfara commissioner of police, has directed that the incident be investigated in order to arrest the people involved in the evil act.

“We received the sad report of the gruesome murder of a medical doctor, Enoch Okpara on Saturday afternoon,” Nagogo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

“Due to the terrible nature of the killing, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo, ordered for immediate commencement of investigation into the matter.

“This is with a view to fish out the culprits and bringing them to book,” he added.

Reacting to the incident, Mannir Bature, vice-chairman of the state’s chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), described the late Okpara as a “quiet gentleman”.

He said the doctor was discovered missing when he wasn’t present in church on Saturday morning which was unlike him.

Bature said the church had to contact some of Okpara’s colleagues who tried his mobile phone number which rang repeatedly without response, thereby raising the alarm that something had gone wrong.

He said when his colleagues checked the house where Okpara lived alone, as his family was not in Zamfara, his car was seen parked inside the compound and so, drew the attention of the police to check in.

Bature noted that the burnt body of the deceased was discovered in the courtyard while bloodstains were seen on the walls of the room.