Tension has gripped the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) in Katsina State as students take to the streets in a renewed wave of protests, demanding justice for their slain colleague, Saidu Abdulkadir, who was allegedly shot dead by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) on Sunday.
The 25-year-old victim, a student of the Department of Agricultural Extension, was traveling on a commercial motorcycle alongside the rider, Abubakar Yusuf, 40, when they encountered four CJTF operatives in a Hilux vehicle at Kashe-Naira Quarters around 11:06 a.m.
Eyewitnesses recount that the vigilantes signaled the duo to stop, but when they allegedly failed to comply, one of the CJTF operatives, whose identity remains unknown, opened fire. The gunshots struck Abdulkadir in the thigh and hips, while Yusuf sustained a gunshot wound to his thigh.
Both victims were rushed to the General Hospital, Dutsin-Ma, before being transferred to the Orthopedic Hospital in Katsina. Tragically, Abdulkadir succumbed to his injuries at 3:00 p.m., sparking an outpouring of grief and anger among students.
A harrowing video obtained by SaharaReporters captures Abdulkadir bleeding profusely, with onlookers frantically trying to stop the hemorrhaging—a chilling visual that has further fueled the students’ outrage.
Determined to seek justice, hundreds of FUDMA students mobilized in protest, blocking major roads and calling on authorities to take swift action against the perpetrators. The demonstrations intensified on Monday, with students chanting slogans against extrajudicial killings and security brutality.
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama shared images of the protests on his X account, highlighting the growing unrest.
This is not the first time students have demonstrated over Abdulkadir’s killing. An earlier protest, met with tear gas from security operatives, only escalated tensions and strengthened their resolve to demand accountability.
The FUDMA management reportedly met with the protesting students on Sunday, assuring them that efforts were underway to ensure justice. However, many students remain skeptical, insisting that similar incidents have occurred before without any meaningful action taken against the CJTF.
“This is not just about Abdulkadir,” one student leader remarked. “How many more lives will be lost before the government takes this menace seriously?”
The tragic killing has once again reignited the broader conversation on police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and unchecked vigilante violence across Nigeria. Students and activists alike are now demanding urgent reforms to curb the increasing cases of security forces taking the law into their own hands.
With tensions still high, all eyes are on the Katsina State Government and security agencies to see if true justice will be served—or if this will become yet another case of impunity in Nigeria’s long history of state-backed violence.
Watch the video here:
PIONEER NEWS 