Lieutenant Commander M. Buba of the Nigerian Navy was stabbed to death early Saturday near the Kawo Flyover Bridge in Kaduna. The officer, a student at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, was fixing a flat tyre on his vehicle when the attack happened.
Attack Details and Immediate Aftermath
Military and eyewitness sources say the incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. as Lt. Cmdr. Buba returned to base. He stopped by the roadside to repair the tyre when an unknown assailant approached him. The attacker demanded the officer’s mobile phone. When Lt. Cmdr. Buba refused, the assailant stabbed him in the chest with a sharp object believed to be a locally made knife.
Passersby quickly took the officer to Manaal Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Locals later took the attacker and lynched him on the spot. A local vigilante, Suleiman Dahiru, who tried to intervene, suffered a stab wound to the hand but survived.
Investigation and Community Concerns
Lt. Col. Umar Adamu, spokesman for AFCSC, confirmed the attack and said authorities have launched an investigation. “We mourn the loss of one of our officers and will work to uncover all details,” he said.
The incident has raised alarm about a resurgence of urban gangs, known locally as ‘Sara Suka,’ around the Kawo area. Residents report increasing robberies and attacks in recent months.
The Kaduna Police Command has not yet released a statement. Meanwhile, an internal memo, allegedly from the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, has circulated online. Though unsigned and unverified, it details how Lt. Cmdr. Buba was stabbed after refusing to hand over his phone and how bystanders lynched the attacker.
This tragic event highlights serious security challenges in Kaduna’s urban centers. It calls for stronger law enforcement and greater community vigilance to stop violent crime.
