A land dispute in the Kuchibuyi community of Bwari Area Council, Abuja, turned deadly on Saturday as police officers allegedly shot and killed Attahiru Abubakar, the son of the community’s Chief Imam, Abubakar Yaqub.
According to Punch, Attahiru died on the spot after being struck by a bullet, while his elder brother, Abass, sustained serious gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at a hospital. The family alleges that police fired indiscriminately during a standoff linked to a controversial land takeover by a private estate developer.
The incident has sparked outrage in the local community, as eyewitnesses and the victim’s family claim that the police acted under the instruction of the estate manager, who had previously tried to seize the land. The Chief Imam himself was reportedly also shot in the leg during the confrontation.
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Sanusi Abubakar, the deceased’s brother, accused the police of returning to the scene with a task force after an initial roadblock incident had seemingly been resolved. “They came back and just started shooting,” he said. “My brother was killed instantly.”
In contrast, the FCT Police Command, through spokesperson Josephine Adeh, issued a statement claiming that officers were responding to a communal unrest and not responsible for instigating violence. She stated, “Arrests were made, and the situation was brought under control.”
However, residents have pushed back on the official account, alleging a cover-up. “They never mentioned the shooting of three people, including the Imam. They just arrested six random youths after firing live rounds,” said a witness who requested anonymity.
The police have not confirmed or denied the shooting of Attahiru Abubakar, referring journalists back to the initial statement. The incident adds to growing concerns about police brutality and accountability in Nigeria, especially in cases involving land grabs and communal clashes.
As of press time, no independent investigation has been announced into the shooting, and calls for justice are growing louder across social media and civil society platforms.
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