Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
At approximately 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, shortly after the conclusion of vote counting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Kaduna State House of Assembly seat, chaos erupted in Mai Gwado community, Jushi Ward, Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Suspected political thugs, allegedly sponsored by aggrieved politicians disputing the outcome of the primary, stormed the community, attacking residents indiscriminately and vandalising properties. The violence, which lasted for several hours, resulted in the death of a young man identified as Ameer Yusuf and left at least five others nursing varying degrees of injuries.
Witnesses said the attackers, armed with machetes, sticks, and other dangerous weapons, moved through the quiet neighbourhood in coordinated formation. Some residents said they saw what appeared to be security operatives accompanying the thugs and even participating in the mayhem. According to multiple accounts, the APC primary election was a direct contest between two aspirants, Nasir Idi Kano and Bashir Ishaq Zango, and tensions over the counting of ballots had been running high. However, few anticipated that the dispute would descend into such bloodshed. "They were not just political thugs. They came prepared to maim and to kill," a resident who identified himself as Saidu told Stone Reporters News.
Throughout the evening, terrified residents fled their homes while the attackers, emboldened by their numerical strength and apparent impunity, looted shops, set vehicles ablaze, and wrecked tricycles commonly known as Keke NAPEP. One shop owner, whose name has been withheld for safety reasons, recounted how hoodlums invaded his store in the middle of the confusion and carted away ₦70,000 in cash. "I could not stop them. I was running for my own life," he said.
But the most devastating moment of the evening came when gunfire erupted. In the midst of the chaos, a young man identified by family and neighbours as Ameer Yusuf was fatally struck by a bullet. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts of who fired the shot, but several people told reporters that a man dressed in white clothing, not in police uniform, was seen firing at fleeing residents before handing his weapon to a vigilante and disappearing into the crowd. The father of the deceased, speaking from his home in Mai Gwado, insisted that his son had no connection to politics and had not participated in the APC primary. "My son was neither a participant in the election nor involved in politics. He only stepped out to go to a shop when he was shot by security operatives," the grieving father said.
A brother of the victim offered a chilling account of the shooting. According to him, both he and Ameer were walking to work when the commotion began. As residents began running in all directions, they attempted to change course to avoid the danger. "As we were walking, we suddenly saw people running. A man dressed in white clothing, not in police uniform, fired the shot. He was with some vigilantes. After shooting, he handed the gun to one of them and disappeared into the crowd," the brother alleged.
The family confirmed that Ameer Yusuf has since been buried according to Islamic rites, while the five injured victims are receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed facility. Their conditions have not been disclosed by authorities.
Beyond the raw violence of the political thugs, residents have also levelled serious accusations against security personnel stationed in the area. According to multiple witnesses, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and personnel of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVIS) were seen alongside suspected hoodlums during the attacks. Some residents claimed that rather than intervening to protect civilians, security agents fired indiscriminately into fleeing crowds and, in some instances, stood by as thugs vandalised properties and looted shops.
"I saw police officers standing there as if they were spectators," one resident, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, told Stone Reporters News. "They did nothing to stop the attackers. In fact, some of them were seen moving with the hoodlums."
Another eyewitness, a trader who lost goods valued at hundreds of thousands of naira, said he observed security personnel helping the thugs block escape routes, leaving residents cornered. "We were trapped. There was no way to run because the police had blocked the road at both ends. The thugs moved freely from house to house, breaking doors and stealing whatever they wanted," he said.
As of the time of this report, the Kaduna State Police Command had not issued an official statement addressing the violence or the allegations of complicity levelled against its officers. Several calls made to the Police Public Relations Officer were unanswered.
Mai Gwado, widely regarded as one of the most peaceful and serene communities in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, has been left reeling. Residents, many of whom had never witnessed such overt violence, now live in fear of what may come next. The destruction of shops, vehicles, and tricycles has crippled economic activity, and families whose homes were invaded during the attacks are now grappling with psychological trauma.
The APC primary election, which was meant to select a party candidate for the Kaduna State House of Assembly, has instead left a trail of blood, grief, and unanswered questions. Political leaders in Kaduna State have largely remained silent, and civil society organisations have begun calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of security agencies during the primary.
As the sun set over Mai Gwado on the evening of May 21, 2026, the community lit candles to mourn the untimely passing of a 26-year-old man who, according to his neighbours, had never spoken about politics or expressed allegiance to any party. "Ameer was just a simple person," a relative told Stone Reporters News. "He had no interest in this election. His only mistake was stepping outside his home at the wrong time."
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