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The family of Abubakar Yaqub, Chief Imam of the Kuchibuyi community in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been plunged into mourning following the alleged fatal shooting of his son, Attahiru Abubakar, by police officers during a land dispute on Saturday.
According to findings by PUNCH Metro, Attahiru reportedly died on the spot after being struck by a police bullet. His elder brother, Abass Abubakar, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital. Their father, the Chief Imam himself, was also allegedly shot during the chaos.
FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, issued a statement on Saturday claiming that officers were deployed in response to civil unrest related to a land conflict in Kuchibuyi, under the Byazin Division.
Her statement read: “The FCT Police Command received a distress call regarding a civil unrest incident stemming from a land dispute in the Kuchibuyi community. The Divisional Police Officers of Byazin and Kubwa swiftly mobilised to the scene and brought the situation under control. Arrests have been made, and investigations are ongoing.”
Adeh emphasized that the conflict was not initiated by the police, describing it as a communal dispute. She also quoted the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, as condemning attacks on officers responding to the unrest. “Such behaviour will not be tolerated, and firm action will be taken against anyone who attacks police or security personnel,” he said.
However, residents of the community dispute the police narrative. Multiple eyewitnesses allege that the police engaged in indiscriminate shooting, which led to the death of Attahiru and injuries to others details omitted from the official police statement.
Sanusi Abubakar, brother of the deceased, told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the violence was triggered by an attempt to seize community land by a private estate developer.
He said, “An estate manager came with soldiers and vigilantes, trying to forcefully take over community land. Later, he brought in the police. After a brief standoff involving some youths blocking the road, the police returned and opened fire on residents. My brother, Attahiru, was shot dead instantly. My elder brother, Abass, is in critical condition, and our father, the Chief Imam, was also shot.”
A resident who witnessed the event corroborated Sanusi’s account but requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. “The police statement is false. They didn’t mention that three people were shot—two sons of the Chief Imam and the Imam himself. Attahiru was shot in the chest and died immediately. His brother is in the hospital in Bwari. The police then randomly arrested about six young men. They’re trying to cover up what happened,” the resident claimed.
Photographs obtained by PUNCH Metro show Attahiru’s lifeless body with a gunshot wound in the upper left chest, and another image shows his body wrapped in cloth after the incident.
When contacted again for clarification on why the police statement omitted the shooting and death, spokesperson Josephine Adeh referred reporters to her original release and declined to comment further.
Attahiru’s death now adds to the growing list of Nigerians, including women and youths, who have died in alleged incidents of police brutality.
—Uthman Salami
Uthman Salami is a journalist with over six years of experience reporting on crime, community affairs, and business. He holds a degree in Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.