Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of a university professor and his younger brother in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, in a case that has exposed the vulnerability of academics living in isolated communities and the growing threat of criminal gangs operating across state borders. The Vice Chancellor of Rev Fr Moses Orshio Adasu University (MOAUM), Prof. Timothy Terseer Alabar, confirmed the arrests during a press briefing in Makurdi on August 12, 2026, marking his first six months in office.
Prof. Gabriel Saawuan Nyityo, a professor of history and former lecturer at Benue State University (BSU), and his younger brother, John Nyityo, were killed by suspected gunmen at his residence in Makurdi on July 7, 2026. The assailants, believed to be cattle rustlers, reportedly entered Benue from Nasarawa State in search of cattle but, after finding none, stumbled upon the professor's home. According to Alabar, the suspects noticed that Nyityo's residence was the only house with its light on that night and decided to attack it, believing the occupant might have money. “They jumped in, thinking that the man should have money. When they got in, they killed him and his younger brother,” the Vice Chancellor told journalists.
Alabar disclosed that information obtained from security agencies indicated that the five suspects were from Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The development followed an earlier arrest announced by the Benue State Police Command on July 9, 2026, of a 23-year-old suspect, Abdullahi Usman, also from Awe in Nasarawa State. The police had disclosed that Usman was being interrogated as operatives intensified efforts to identify and arrest other suspects linked to the killings. The suspects reportedly left the area the following day and headed towards Nasarawa State, where four of them were subsequently apprehended. Alabar said the four suspects were now in Benue State, while interrogation by security agencies was ongoing. “As of last Friday, four of those gang members had been arrested and they are in Benue State now, but the gang leader is still at large,” he said. The suspects have been arraigned and are being held at a correctional centre, with their case expected to come up before Magistrate Court No. 9 in Makurdi.
Reacting to the incident, Alabar described Nyityo’s death as a painful loss to the university, particularly the Department of History, noting that the deceased was among the founding members of the department and had made significant contributions to research and curriculum development in History and Diplomatic Studies. He lamented that Nyityo’s death was particularly devastating because he was the second professor from the History Department of the institution to be killed. He noted that the isolated location where Nyityo lived may have contributed to the difficulty in getting help during the attack, as there was no close-knit community that could quickly respond to a distress call. He proposed that staff living together could develop a community capable of identifying suspicious persons and responding to emergencies.
The Vice Chancellor called on the Benue State Government to consider providing land for a residential estate for university staff as part of measures to improve their security. He also appealed to members of the university community, particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to follow up on the case to ensure that the prosecution progressed to a logical conclusion. The university management has been monitoring the development and engaging security agencies, stressing that justice must be pursued to its logical conclusion. “We are following at management level. I am talking to members of the university community, especially ASUU. Let’s do a follow-up on this case so that we can address this issue once and for all,” Alabar said.
The incident has raised urgent questions about the safety of academics and residents in isolated communities across Benue State, where criminal gangs have increasingly targeted vulnerable individuals for robbery and kidnapping. The fact that the suspects travelled from Nasarawa State to commit the crime underscores the porous nature of state borders and the ease with which criminals can operate across jurisdictions. The arrest of five suspects represents a significant breakthrough for law enforcement, but the continued flight of the gang leader highlights the challenges of dismantling criminal networks that operate with impunity.
As the case proceeds to court, the university community and the wider public await justice for a professor who dedicated his life to scholarship and the development of historical studies in Nigeria. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder that the pursuit of knowledge cannot thrive in an environment where the safety of academics is not guaranteed. The government and security agencies must act decisively to prevent such incidents and ensure that those who commit such heinous crimes face the full weight of the law.
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