The Plateau State community is in mourning following the brutal murder of Ibrahim Haruna Abdulkareem, a 31-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Jos.
Abdulkareem, who was recently married and awaiting his passing-out parade, was caught in a violent reprisal attack in the Anguwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area following a deadly raid by gunmen on Sunday.
A resident of the Yantifa community, Abdulkareem (State Code: PL/26A/0351) was fulfilling his primary assignment at Almustafa Private School.
Security reports confirm that at least 28 people lost their lives in the initial assault, which triggered retaliatory violence by local youths.
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For the Abdulkareem family, the tragedy is compounded by the fact that Ibrahim had become their primary provider following his father’s passing.
To support his family and his seven-month pregnant wife, he supplemented his NYSC allowance by operating a commercial motorcycle in the evenings.
His younger brother, Mustafa Haruna Abdulkareem, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the discovery of his death.
“After returning from his PPA that day, he prepared and went out again around 7:00 p.m. for okada work,” he explained.
As news of the violence spread, the family grew frantic when his phone became unreachable.
“Between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., we started hearing about the attack in Anguwan Rukuba. We became worried because okada riders are usually vulnerable in such situations. We tried calling him, but his phone was unreachable. From that moment, we knew something was wrong,” Mustafa said.
The search, aided by the Nigerian Red Cross and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), eventually confirmed the family’s worst fears.
Due to the nature of his death, the burial was highly restricted. “After funeral prayers in absentia, the JNI asked that only one family member should attend the burial,” Mustafa noted.
“They explained that his body was badly mutilated and bringing it back to the community could trigger unrest, so only one person was allowed to witness the burial.”
His mother, Zainab Hasan, spoke of the immense sacrifice she made to see her first son through his education.
“He had been taking care of the family since his father died. I struggled to train him in school so he could support others,” she shared.
She explained that his secondary job was a necessity, stating, “The allowance he earned as a corps member was not enough, which is why he went into okada riding after work.”
Demanding accountability from the authorities, she added, “They killed him for no reason and even took his motorcycle. I am calling on the state and federal governments to ensure justice. I will never forgive those who did this.”
Abdulkareem leaves behind a widow who is expected to give birth in two months, now facing the challenge of raising their child alone.
