Niger police hunt killers of deputy gov’s aide

The Police in Niger State say they are already hunting for the killers of an aide to the Niger State governor, Kafar Dadawu Abdullahi.

Abdullahi was stabbed to death last week by suspected miscreants.

Arewa PUNCH learnt that suspected masked hoodlums sneaked into the apartment of deceased and stabbed him to death in Minna, the Niger State capital.

Abdullahi, who was an aide to the Niger State Deputy Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba, it was learnt died shortly after the incident which took place on Thursday around 2 am. in his residence, opposite the Matumbi police station.

Dabawu, a former President of the Minna Emirate Youth Association was said to be in his home with his newly wedded wife and teenage daughter when the assailants sneaked into his apartment to carry out the neinous crime.

According to a source, “Jafar was staying with his newly wedded wife and his teenage daughter from a previous marriage when they noticed that the entrance door to their living room had been left open around 2 a.m.

“He went into the parlour to ask if anyone was there but got no response.

“Moments later, he was stabbed in the upper part of his chest by an assailant suspected to have been hiding inside the apartment at the time,” the source who pleaded anonymity narrated to our correspondent.

A family source who also spoke on the condition of anonymity said she saw only one masked person wearing a jalabiya who stabbed her brother on the chest.

“I saw only one person dressed in a jalabiya and wearing a face mask. Jafar sustained a facial injury and a stab wound to the chest,” she said.

The Press Secretary to the state deputy governor, Ummikhaltume Abdullahi Kuta, in a statement on Thursday, described the incident as “tragic and painful.”

According to the statement, “The deputy governor commiserated with the family of the slain Minna Emirate Youth Association President Abdullahi, over the unfortunate incident that led to his death.

“The incident is both tragic and painful. The loss of a loved one under such circumstances is heartbreaking and unfortunate.

“We pray to Almighty God to grant the deceased eternal rest and give the bereaved family the strength and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” she stated.

The deputy governor called on the relevant authorities to ensure that justice was served and urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding as investigations continued.

The Niger State Police Command’s spokesman Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the murder in a statement in which he said the Police were already hunting the assaliants

“On 21/5/2026 at about 3.30am, an alarm was raised from someone who was heard shouting for help in Maitumbi area, opposite the police station, and policemen moved to the scene and met a victim who was later identified as Jafar Abdullahi Dabaru in a pool of blood.

“He was immediately taken to Minna General Hospital by the police, where he was confirmed dead.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that some miscreants wearing face masks trespassed to the deceased’s house, attacked and injured him on the chest and the face.

“The unfortunate incident is under investigation, and efforts to identify the suspects are ongoing,” he assured via the statement.