Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Minna, Niger State — A 53-year-old university lecturer, Abdulfatai Aiyede, was found dead at the residence of a young woman in the Niger State capital on January 27, 2026, prompting an ongoing police investigation and the arrest of the host, authorities confirmed on Friday, January 30, 2026. The circumstances surrounding his sudden death have sparked public concern and official scrutiny as investigators work to establish the cause.
The Niger State Police Command disclosed that the lecturer travelled from Bida to Minna earlier in the week to visit Stella Joseph, a 25-year-old nursing student residing on Niteco Road, Tunga, Minna. According to the police public relations officer, Wasiu Abiodun, Aiyede arrived at about 10:00 a.m. and was received by the student inside her home. Shortly after being served a meal, he allegedly began to convulse and collapsed unexpectedly. Responding officers from the Tudun-Wada Division were alerted, and Aiyede was taken to General Hospital, Minna. Despite efforts to save him, he was later confirmed dead by medical personnel. The lecturer’s body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary while forensic examinations are expected to determine the precise cause of death.
Local reports indicated that food served to Aiyede was a plate of spaghetti and egg, which he consumed before the onset of convulsions, but authorities have not publicly confirmed whether food poisoning, natural medical conditions, foul play or other factors are responsible. Hospital staff and police investigators are awaiting autopsy results and laboratory analyses that may shed light on the cause of the sudden collapse and death.
The relationship between the deceased and his host has drawn attention, with some media accounts describing the visit as a private meeting rather than a formal university engagement. Police have clarified that while Stella Joseph has been arrested, her detention is part of procedural investigation and does not constitute a formal determination of guilt at this stage. Officers emphasised that further findings will be communicated as the investigation progresses and results are concluded.
Aiyede was widely reported to have been a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Bida, where he taught and engaged with students before the incident. Initial confusion over his institutional affiliation — including misreporting by some outlets that he lectured at another university — has been addressed by local sources and law enforcement, underscoring his established academic role in Bida.
News of the lecturer’s death has elicited reactions from both academic and public circles, with commentary focusing on the unusual circumstances of his collapse and the need for clarity from investigators. Niger State residents have expressed shock at the events, particularly given the suddenness of the incident and the prominence of the victim within educational circles. Some commentators have called for transparency in the investigative process to ensure public confidence, while others have urged restraint and patience until official forensic results are released. The police have reiterated that they will pursue all available leads and forensic avenues to determine whether criminal conduct was involved or whether Aiyede’s death was due to health-related or other non-criminal factors.
Security analysts have noted that the arrest of the host is a standard part of investigative procedure in Nigeria when unexplained deaths occur under unusual circumstances. Interviewees who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the police would likely combine toxicology reports, witness accounts, and physical evidence from the scene to form a comprehensive understanding of events. As with many high-profile investigations, the legal maxim that an arrest does not presuppose guilt has been emphasised by legal experts.
The lecturer’s family has been informed of the incident, and authorities say they are cooperating with relatives as investigations continue. No official statement has yet been released by the family regarding funeral arrangements or memorial plans. Meanwhile, the nursing student remains in police custody as preliminary inquiries proceed and further forensic procedures are scheduled.
This incident adds to the list of unusual deaths under investigation in Niger State and highlights the complexities of sudden, unexplained fatalities where medical, criminal and social questions intersect. Local authorities have pledged to maintain transparency as required by law and public interest, stressing that the truth of what transpired will guide subsequent actions, including any potential charges or exonerations based on evidence.
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