Jafar Abdullahi Dabawu, an aide to Niger State Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba, was stabbed to death in the early hours of Thursday at his home in the Maitumbi area of Minna.
Dabawu, who also served as President of the Minna Emirate Youth Association, was attacked around 2:00 a.m. at his residence opposite the Maitumbi Police Station. He lived there with his wife and teenage daughter.
According to a source, the family noticed their living room door was open around 2 a.m. When Dabawu went to check, an assailant believed to have been hiding inside stabbed him in the chest. The source said the family saw one person wearing a jalabiya and a face mask. Dabawu sustained injuries to his chest and face.
He had returned home that night from Kuta in Shiroro Local Government Area, where he attended a primary election, the source added.
The Niger State Police Command said officers responded to an alarm for help at about 3:30 a.m. and found Dabawu in a pool of blood. He was taken to Minna General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said preliminary findings showed that people wearing face masks entered the house and attacked him. He said investigation is ongoing to identify the suspects.
Deputy Governor Garba, in a statement through his press secretary, expressed condolences to Dabawu’s family and described the incident as tragic and painful. He called on authorities to ensure justice is served and urged residents to remain calm as investigations continue.
Dabawu had been married for about four months.
