MINNA, NIGERIA – The peaceful atmosphere of Minna, the capital of Niger State, was shattered by a brutal security breach early Thursday morning, May 21, 2026. Armed individuals invaded the private residence of Jafar Abdullahi Dabawu, a prominent political aide to the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, resulting in his tragic death.
Dabawu, who also served the community as the sitting President of the highly influential Minna Emirate Youth Association (MEYA), was systematically ambushed inside his apartment. The property is located directly opposite the Maitumbi Police Station, a detail that has added to the deep sense of shock among residents regarding the boldness of the perpetrators. The deceased had recently celebrated a personal milestone, having been married to his new bride for only four months before his life was abruptly cut short.
According to preliminary reports sourced from security circles and media outlets, the masked individuals successfully gained unauthorized access into the compound at approximately 2:00 a.m. under the cover of total darkness before moving silently into the main living quarters to carry out the fatal assault.
An intimate family source who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that the late political aide had returned home late that night from Kuta, the administrative headquarters of Shiroro Local Government Area. He had spent the preceding daytime hours participating actively in a high-stakes local primary election process.
The source disclosed that Dabawu was inside the main house alongside his newly wedded wife and his teenage daughter from a previous marriage when they unexpectedly noticed that the main security door leading directly into their sitting room was wide open.
> “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.,” the family source recounted in emotional detail. “He went into the parlour to ask who 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.”
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The traumatized family members reported that amid the confusion and dim lighting, they caught sight of at least one physical assailant who was fully dressed in a traditional flowing jalabiya and wore a dark face mask to conceal his identity. During the brief, violent struggle that ensued within the living room, Dabawu sustained significant defensive facial lacerations and a deep, fatal stab wound directly to the upper region of his chest.
Responding swiftly to the midnight security emergency, the Niger State Police Command confirmed that its operatives moved immediately after receiving frantic distress calls from neighbors in the Maitumbi axis. Upon entering the residence, responding officers discovered the youth leader unconscious and lying in a massive pool of his own blood.
The police team immediately evacuated the bleeding victim to the Minna General Hospital for urgent medical stabilization. However, despite the best efforts of the clinical team on duty, he was officially pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the State Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, released an official corporate statement to journalists confirming the exact timeline of the tragedy and the initial findings of the homicide squad.
> “On Thursday at about 3.30am, an alarm 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,” the police spokesperson stated. “He was immediately taken to Minna general hospital by the police, where he was confirmed dead. Preliminary investigation 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 effort to identify the suspects is ongoing.”
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Reacting to the devastating loss of his dependable staff member, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, issued a comprehensive message of condolence to the grieving family, the Minna Emirate, and the state’s youth population. In a formal statement signed and released on Friday afternoon by his Press Secretary, Ummikhaltume Abdullahi Kuta, the Deputy Governor expressed deep personal sorrow.
Garba described the untimely killing of Dabawu as an incredibly painful, heartbreaking, and irreplaceable loss to his administration and the wider community. He offered prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased aide's soul and begged Almighty God to provide the young widow, the teenage daughter, and the entire bereaved family with the spiritual fortitude required to navigate the painful tragedy.
Furthermore, the Deputy Governor issued a directive to the leadership of all relevant security agencies in Niger State, commanding them to deploy all necessary intelligence assets to track down, apprehend, and bring the perpetrators to justice. He urged the residents of Minna to remain completely calm, vigilant, and law-abiding while detectives work to unravel the identities and motives of the killers.
