Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Pandemonium erupted in Kasuwan Ali community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, May 17, 2026, when a resident, identified as Sani Abdullahi, was shot dead at the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election. The victim, a young man from the community, was hit by a stray bullet allegedly fired by soldiers who had been deployed to maintain security at the event. Five other youths sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to eyewitness accounts compiled by multiple news outlets.
The trouble began when the primary election, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 16, failed to take off as planned. A resident of the community, Ibrahim Sale, told Daily Trust and other media houses that the exercise could not hold on Saturday morning due to the absence of returning officers. “So the youths started protesting, alleging that the delay was deliberate,” Sale said. As government officials who had arrived to monitor the exercise attempted to leave the venue because of the absence of electoral officers, some youths blocked the road to prevent them from departing. “The youths insisted they would not leave until electoral officers arrived to conduct the primary,” Sale explained.
The protest soon drew the attention of security personnel, including soldiers who had been stationed at the venue. According to Sale, as soon as the security personnel arrived, the youths started throwing stones at them. “The soldiers then started shooting, and a stray bullet hit the victim,” Sale said. The bullet struck Abdullahi, who died instantly at the scene. The incident triggered panic, with residents and party supporters fleeing the area following the gunshots. The five injured youths were rushed to a hospital for treatment, though their conditions have not been officially disclosed.
Another resident, Dantala Hassan, who also witnessed the incident, told Daily Post that the delay in the commencement of the primary election led to the party faithful becoming agitated. “The situation degenerated into a protest, with the youths pelting stones at the security operatives drafted to the venue, and the personnel reportedly responded with gunfire,” Hassan said. He confirmed that Abdullahi was struck by a stray bullet and died on the spot, while five other youths sustained injuries.
The APC primary in Mangu was part of the party’s nationwide exercise to select its candidate for the House of Representatives seat representing the Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency. The election was eventually won by the incumbent lawmaker, Ishaya David Lalu, who emerged victorious after the exercise was concluded. However, the violence that preceded the primary has cast a shadow over the process and raised serious questions about the conduct of security operatives deployed to manage political events.
Efforts by journalists to obtain official confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command and the military authorities were unsuccessful. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, and the Media Information Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, did not respond to calls and text messages seeking their comments. As of Monday morning, no official statement had been issued by either the APC or the Plateau State Government regarding the shooting.
The killing of Sani Abdullahi has sparked outrage among residents of Kasuwan Ali community and beyond. Eyewitnesses told reporters that the incident was avoidable and that the soldiers’ response to the protest was disproportionate. Residents have called on relevant authorities to investigate the shooting and ensure that justice is served for the victim. They also demanded that the soldiers involved be identified and held accountable for their actions.
The Plateau State APC chapter had earlier expressed readiness for the primaries, with the party’s leadership insisting that the process would be peaceful and transparent. However, the violence in Mangu is a stark reminder of the volatility that often accompanies political gatherings in Nigeria, particularly during primary elections where stakes are high and tensions run deep. The incident also underscores the dangers of deploying armed security personnel to manage civil unrest without adequate training in crowd control and de‑escalation techniques.
As of the time of this report, the identity of the soldier who fired the fatal shot has not been released, and no arrest has been announced. The Nigerian Army has not commented on the incident, and it remains unclear whether an internal investigation has been launched. The five injured youths are said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility, and their families are hoping for their full recovery.
The death of Sani Abdullahi is a tragic reminder of the human cost of political violence in Nigeria. A young man who went to observe a party primary never returned home. His family is now left to mourn, while a community demands answers. Until the military and the police provide a full account of what transpired, the wound left by that stray bullet will remain open, and the question of who is responsible will continue to echo through the streets of Kasuwan Ali.
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