Chaos erupted at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) on Friday, February 21, 2025, as students staged a fiery protest over the alleged killing of their colleague, Sa’id Abdulkadir, by local vigilantes in Dutsin-Ma town. The enraged students barricaded the bustling Dutsin-Ma–Katsina highway, setting tires ablaze and halting traffic in a bold cry for justice that shook the university community.
Abdulkadir, a 400-level student in the Faculty of Agriculture, met a tragic end under murky circumstances, sparking conflicting narratives about his death. “Some reports suggest that Abdulkadir was suspected to be an informant for bandits,” sources told reporters, while others insist he was “mistakenly shot by security operatives while riding on a commercial motorcycle.” The confusion deepened with accounts of the fatal encounter, which unfolded when security personnel attempted to intercept the motorcycle carrying Abdulkadir and its rider. “Security personnel attempted to stop the motorcycle… but they refused to halt,” sources explained. “In response, the operatives allegedly opened fire, killing Abdulkadir instantly, while the commercial motorcyclist sustained injuries and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.”
The student’s death ignited a powder keg of outrage, propelling his peers into action. Wielding makeshift barricades and chanting demands for accountability, the protesters transformed the highway into a battleground of grief and defiance. Black smoke from burning tires billowed into the sky, a stark symbol of their fury as motorists were forced to a standstill. The demonstration not only disrupted daily life but also laid bare the simmering tensions between the university community and local security forces.
Security operatives, including soldiers and police, descended on the scene in a bid to quell the unrest. Their mission: to disperse the students and restore order to the choked artery connecting Dutsin-Ma and Katsina. “Security operatives… were deployed to the scene to contain the protest and persuade the students to vacate the highway,” witnesses confirmed, describing a tense standoff as authorities faced off against the resolute crowd. The deployment underscored the gravity of the situation, with officials working to prevent further escalation amid a volatile atmosphere.
For FUDMA’s students, Abdulkadir’s killing is more than a statistic—it’s a personal loss that has galvanized their resolve. The conflicting accounts of his death fuel their distrust, with some questioning whether he was a victim of mistaken identity or a targeted casualty in the region’s fraught security landscape. The injured motorcyclist, now clinging to life in a hospital bed, adds another layer of urgency to their call for clarity and justice.
As calm teeters on the edge in Dutsin-Ma, the protest serves as a stark reminder of the fragile peace in Katsina State, where banditry and security operations often collide with devastating consequences. The university, a hub of learning, now stands at the heart of a reckoning—its students unwilling to let Abdulkadir’s death fade into silence. With the highway cleared but tensions lingering, authorities face mounting pressure to unravel the truth behind this tragedy and mend a fractured trust.