A 27-year-old woman has died under mysterious circumstances in Abuja after reportedly falling ill while eating at her boyfriend’s residence, with the man now on the run as police launch a manhunt.
The deceased, identified as Esther Akwaji, was said to have travelled from Nasarawa State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to visit family members, before her sudden death triggered alarm and suspicion.
According to sources familiar with the incident, Akwaji left her family home on January 21, telling relatives she was heading to a bank in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja. When she failed to return hours later, concern grew among family members.
Their fears deepened when they received a phone call from an unidentified man who claimed to be her boyfriend, using Akwaji’s phone. The man reportedly told the family that Esther had visited him at his residence and that he had bought food for them to eat.
He further claimed that while they were eating, Akwaji suddenly began vomiting and became critically ill. According to his account, she was rushed to Kubwa General Hospital, where doctors later confirmed her death.
However, hospital sources said the man disappeared shortly after her death was confirmed and has remained unreachable since then, raising further suspicion about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Confirming the development, the FCT Police Command said it had commenced a full investigation into the matter. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed that the body of the deceased has been deposited for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
“The incident has been reported to the command, and investigation is ongoing,” Adeh said. “The corpse has been deposited for post-mortem examination, while efforts are being intensified to locate and arrest the fleeing suspect.”
The police urged members of the public with useful information that could aid the investigation to come forward, assuring that all necessary steps would be taken to unravel the circumstances surrounding Akwaji’s death.