The Borno State Police Command said it has arrested eight suspects linked to the murder of a lecturer from the Department of Physical Health Education at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID).

Spokesman of the command, ASP Daso Kenneth, told Daily Trust that the suspects were arrested following a report filed by the Chief Security Officer of the university.

"He reported to police station around 6:30 am that a body was found in the office, and identified as Dr. Abdulkadir Kamal.

"Our men swung into action immediately, cordoned off the scene of the crime, and evacuated the body to hospital for autopsy.

"Although we arrested eight suspects who are in our custody, investigations are ongoing to unravel those behind the act," Kenneth said.

He called on the people within and outside the university community to remain calm as police would do everything possible to fish out the culprits.

The university's spokesman, Prof. Danjuma Gambo, said Dr Abdulkadir was murdered in his office on Sunday evening.

It was gathered that Dr Abdulkadir was in his office attending to some pending work when the assailants attacked and killed him.

When asked about a possible connection between his murder and his role as the examination officer, the university's spokesman emphasized that the authorities have granted full authority to the police and other security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and provide a detailed report on the incident and its motives.

A lecturer in the faculty said the deceased took advantage of the Easter holiday to tidy up some work on his table when the assailants crept in and murdered him.

"He was brutally murdered with knife and hammer, leaving him in the pool of his blood. They also escaped with his car and some other valuables.

"However, many people are attributing the murder to the position he held as the faculty examination officer," he added.