Tension in Abuja as Police Allegedly Kill Chief Imam’s Son During Land Dispute

By Elisha Bawa | 

ABUJA, NIGERIA – Tension has engulfed the Kuchibuyi community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory following the alleged killing of Attahiru Abubakar, son of the community’s Chief Imam, by police operatives amid a heated land dispute.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday, August 3, has drawn widespread outrage, with eyewitnesses accusing officers of opening fire on unarmed residents and acting in defense of private interests tied to a controversial land grab.

According to community members, the late Attahiru was shot in the chest and died instantly. His elder brother, Abass Abubakar, sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment. Shockingly, their father, Imam Abubakar Yaqub, was also reportedly shot during the altercation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, said officers responded to a “distress call regarding civil unrest” and were deployed to restore order. She insisted the matter was a “communal dispute” unrelated to any direct police misconduct.

“The Divisional Police Officers from Byazin and Kubwa were mobilised to the scene, and the situation was brought under control. Several arrests were made,” Adeh said.
“The police were not responsible for the violence that occurred,” she added.

However, the community tells a different story.

Eyewitnesses: “The Police Fired on Us Without Provocation”

Sanusi Abubakar, brother to the deceased, said a local estate manager attempted to forcefully seize land with the help of private security, soldiers, and later, the police. The community, he claims, resisted peacefully — but after the initial confrontation ended, police forces returned and opened fire on unarmed residents.

“They came back and started shooting. My brother Attahiru was killed instantly. My second brother was hit and is now in the hospital. Even our father, the Imam, was shot. This was no civil unrest — it was a violent suppression,” Sanusi said.

A resident who witnessed the event, and requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, echoed the claims. He described the official police account as a cover-up.

“They are trying to hide the fact that they killed someone. This is beyond disturbing — our place was peaceful until people in power tried to grab our land by force,” the eyewitness told Naija Security Watch.The tragic killing of Attahiru Abubakar

highlights an increasing pattern of violent police responses to civil land disputes in Nigeria. Experts have raised concerns that law enforcement officers are often used to settle private land deals and silence dissent — a practice that has eroded public trust.

With Nigeria already battling violent crime, insurgency, and kidnapping in multiple regions, allegations of extrajudicial killings and misuse of police power add another layer of fragility to the country’s internal security system.

“We cannot allow a system where law enforcement becomes a weapon in the hands of land grabbers and estate developers,” said a legal activist who asked to remain unnamed.
“This isn’t just about land — it’s about justice, accountability, and a country on the edge of lawlessness.”

The FCT Police Command has said investigations are ongoing, but residents demand an independent inquiry and the prosecution of those responsible for the shooting.

Security analysts warn that unless urgent reforms are introduced, Nigeria risks an increase in community-led resistance, civil unrest, and further breakdown of police-citizen relations.

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