Dr Iliyasu Abubakar Sadiq, a lecturer and researcher with the Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was reportedly abducted from his farmhouse and killed by his attackers only a few hours later.
The lecturer, who hailed from Jigawa State, was reportedly taken away at about 10am on Sunday, September 20, 2026, from his farmhouse in Tudun Muntsira, a community located behind ABU’s Samaru Campus.
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His body was later discovered around 2pm in the Karau-Karau area.
According to his widow, Hajiya Baraka, her husband’s final words to her came as the armed men dragged him away.
“Baraka! Baraka! Take care of my children. Please, have mercy,” he reportedly pleaded repeatedly.
Dr Sadiq was not only an academic but also a farmer. He maintained an orchard and farmhouse where he sometimes stayed with his family. Although the family had accommodation within the university quarters, they occasionally spent time at the farm before he returned to his official residence.
How the Attack Happened
Recounting the terrifying incident, Baraka said the family was inside the farmhouse when their dog suddenly began barking.
Dr Sadiq reportedly stepped outside to find out what had attracted the dog’s attention. Moments later, he rushed back inside shouting, “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.”
He then asked his wife to help him shut the door.
But before they could secure it, the attackers began forcing their way inside.
“They were saying, ‘open the door or we will come in and kill you,’” Baraka recounted.
The four armed men eventually broke part of the door and forced their way into the house.
Baraka said her husband attempted to escape, but the attackers threatened to harm his family if he tried to run.
According to her, the men did not cover their faces and all four were carrying guns.
Two of the attackers reportedly restrained Dr Sadiq while the others confronted his wife, demanding money and asking where valuables were kept.
Baraka repeatedly told them that the family did not own the farm and had no money there.
She said she even challenged the attackers to search the house themselves.
When they accused her of lying, one of the men reportedly threatened to kill her.
Baraka said she responded that if she was killed, she would die as a martyr and the attacker would bear the responsibility for taking her life.
She was reportedly slapped during the confrontation, while the gunmen ordered the children, who were crying, to remain silent.
Baraka said she encouraged the children to pray, telling them that they were Muslims and that prayer was their weapon.
Attackers Take Lecturer Away
The kidnappers reportedly demanded Dr Sadiq’s mobile phone and ATM card.
His wife told them she did not have access to his phone or banking information.
After apparently realising that there was little money to take from the family, the attackers decided to abduct the lecturer.
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Baraka said she and the children pleaded with them to leave her husband behind, reminding them that they had young children who depended on him.
Their youngest child was reportedly about eight months old.
But the pleas failed.
The gunmen dragged Dr Sadiq away from the farmhouse while his family watched.
After they left, Baraka reportedly escaped from the house with one of the children and moved through the surrounding crops until she reached a nearby compound.
She raised the alarm and informed residents that her husband had been taken.
Community members subsequently organised a search of the surrounding bushes in an attempt to locate the kidnappers and the lecturer.
The initial search, however, reportedly produced no result.
Hours later, Baraka received devastating news.
She was informed that Dr Sadiq’s body had been found around Karau-Karau village.
According to what she was told, he had been shot in the head, while belongings on him were allegedly taken before his body was abandoned.
A Lecturer, Farmer and Father of Nine
Before his death, Dr Sadiq served as Head of Programme, Pest Management, at ABU’s Division of Agricultural Colleges.
He taught Entomology and Agriculture and was reportedly regarded as a hardworking member of the academic community.
He left behind two wives and nine children.
His uncle, Alhaji Yahaya Lawal Kalli, described the death as a devastating loss.
Kalli said Dr Sadiq had lived under his care while growing up and continued to seek his advice on important decisions throughout his life.
He described him as hardworking and deeply committed to his family.
Kalli prayed that Allah would accept the deceased’s Shahada and grant him Jannatul Firdaus.
The Director of the Division of Agricultural Colleges, Prof. Bashir Ahmed Babaji, also mourned the lecturer.
Babaji described Dr Sadiq as a dependable and hardworking staff member who was committed to his responsibilities.
He said the deceased had previously served as a Head of Department and was respected within the college.
According to Babaji, the university initially received information about the abduction through its security officer, although details were limited at the time.
He later received confirmation that the lecturer had been killed.
Babaji described the incident as another painful reminder of the kidnapping threat confronting communities in the North-West.
He said ABU had experienced similar abduction incidents involving academic staff in the past, although, according to him, the previous cases known to the institution had not resulted in deaths.
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Attempts to obtain additional information from the police were reportedly unsuccessful at the time of the report. Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, reportedly said he would provide further details after receiving information from the appropriate authorities, but no response had been received by press time.
Daily Trust