How APC Delegate Died In Abuja Hotel Elevator

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Barr. Abdulsalami Ginsau, who was recently elected State Assistant Organising Secretary of the party, died in the early hours of Friday last week after falling into an elevator shaft at a hotel in the Utako area of Abuja, police investigations have revealed.

It was gathered that, contrary to earlier reports that Ginsau died after being trapped inside a hotel elevator, the Kano APC chieftain fell into the elevator pit after the lift had reportedly been damaged earlier by hotel guests, who were mostly APC delegates from a northern state attending the party’s recent national convention in Abuja.

Ginsau, who was lodged on the third floor of the hotel, reportedly stepped out of his room at about 6:30 a.m. and walked straight to the elevator, unaware that the lift had malfunctioned.

One of the investigators, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that Ginsau stepped into the elevator shaft, which had become an open void, as the lift was stationed on the fourth floor at the time of the incident.

The source said: “It is a sad development. But from what we saw, the deceased could have been saved if help had come on time. CCTV footage showed that two young men loitering in the hallway actually saw him fall into the shaft but failed to raise the alarm and left without informing hotel staff of what had happened.

“From preliminary findings, the hotel was overrun by delegates and party members from Kano State. How can you book 150 rooms and have almost 2,000 people showing up, behaving in a disorderly manner, threatening hotel staff, and not following instructions?

“From what we have reviewed, a lift meant to carry six to eight persons was crammed with 12 to 14 people. The party members refused to adhere to instructions and kept threatening hotel staff who tried to direct them on proper usage.”

A senior staff member of the hotel, who declined to comment officially, citing the ongoing police investigation, expressed regret over the incident. She stated that some delegates failed to conduct themselves properly and did not promptly inform management of the fall.

She added that the hotel was cooperating fully with the police and extended its condolences to the family of the deceased, as well as to the government and people of Kano State. She also noted that management is reviewing its operational guidelines to prevent a recurrence.

Meanwhile, ASP John Osa of the Utako Police Division, where the case was reported, said investigations are ongoing and that findings will be made public upon conclusion.

He also confirmed that police forensic experts were invited to conduct a thorough investigation before the body of Ginsau was evacuated from the hotel.