Kaduna State Police Command has arrested a man, Manaseh Bitrus Jatau, in connection with the death of his 35-year-old girlfriend, Rebecca Ojonike Jeremiah, following a reported dispute over a phone call involving another woman.
Jeremiah was found dead along Mai Angwa Street in the Romi area of Kaduna around 7am on Saturday, September 5, 2026, with the police saying her body was discovered with cotton wool stuffed into her nostrils.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the discovery was reported by the Officer-in-Charge of the Romi Outstation.
Hassan said detectives were immediately deployed to the scene and subsequently took the woman to St Gerald Hospital, Kakuri, where a doctor confirmed her death. Her remains were later deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated that Jatau was the last person known to have contacted Jeremiah and had asked her to meet him at Ebano Joint, Romi.
The PPRO said detectives traced the suspect to his workplace at Tomato Jos Company in the Maraban Jos area of Kaduna, where he was arrested.
He said the suspect allegedly admitted during interrogation that he had a confrontation with Jeremiah in his room after she received a phone call from another woman.
Hassan added that Jatau allegedly confessed to taking the deceased’s body to an open field near his residence in an attempt to conceal the incident.
The police spokesman said the suspect remained in custody as detectives continued investigating the circumstances surrounding Jeremiah’s death, adding that he would be prosecuted after the investigation was concluded.
The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, condemned violence and called on residents to resolve disputes peacefully.
Muhammad also assured the public that the command would pursue justice for the deceased and urged residents to provide security agencies with information that could help prevent violence and other crimes.
