A 300-level university student, Sunday Adamu Hussaini, has reportedly been stabbed to death by suspected criminals disguised as scavengers during a phone robbery in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The incident occurred on Sunday, June 28, 2026, within the M.D. Abubakar Barracks in Jibi, along the Dei Dei axis of Abuja.
According to reports, Hussaini had returned from a church service and went to visit a friend before the tragic incident unfolded.
Witnesses said the student was taking photographs with his newly acquired iPhone 16 when the suspects approached him and demanded the phone at knifepoint.
He was reportedly stabbed during a struggle with the attackers as they attempted to seize the device.
Residents at the scene rushed to his aid and took him to a nearby hospital. However, he was said to have died on the way as a result of the injuries he sustained.
Following the attack, one of the suspected robbers was reportedly apprehended by residents, who descended on him before security operatives arrived.
Reports indicate that after news spread that the victim had died, an angry crowd continued to assault the suspect, prompting police officers to intervene.
Officers reportedly fired tear gas to disperse the mob and prevent further violence.
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, had not issued an official statement on the incident.
A family member, Dan Sanni, confirmed Hussaini's death in an emotional Facebook post, describing the deceased as a promising young man whose life was cut short by violence.
“Gone too soon. Today, we lost my nephew, Sunday Adamu Hussaini. A 300-level university student. A young man full of life. He went to morning service this Sunday with hope in his heart,” he wrote.
“He was meant to return to school tomorrow. Instead, while taking a stroll in the Dei Dei Police Barracks around 9:30 a.m., a criminal disguised as a scavenger snatched his phone.
“In the struggle, he was stabbed. And just like that, life left him in the cold hands of death.
“Ambitious. Gentle. Full of dreams. All cut short in one violent moment. Parents are shattered. Loved ones are devastated. A future is gone.”
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over violent crime and phone theft in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, with many residents calling for improved security measures to protect lives and property.
