Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Tension and grief engulfed the Minanata community in Sokoto South Local Government Area on Wednesday as residents, civil society actors, and stakeholders converged on a joint news conference to demand justice over the killing of a 15-year-old volunteer secondary school teacher, Malam Usman Halilu.
In a press conference jointly organized by the Minanata Community and the Minanata Future Association on Wednesday, condemned the act in the strongest terms, describing it as a “brutal and senseless killing” that has shaken the collective conscience of the area and heightened fears over public safety.
Speaking at the briefing, a PhD student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Maccido Mohammad, alleged that the prime suspect, Mansur Arzika, had been nursing a long-standing grievance against the deceased.
He explained that the dispute reportedly stemmed from an earlier incident in which the late Halilu identified Arzika as a suspect in the theft of a mobile phone from a neighbour’s shop.
“Malam Usman Halilu paid the ultimate price for standing on the side of truth,” Maccido said. “The suspect allegedly harboured resentment and bided his time to carry out this heinous act.”
Recounting the incident, he said that on the day of the attack, the deceased had closed his shop and was heading home, unaware that he was being followed.
“The suspect reportedly caught up with him and launched an attack,” he said. “Even as the victim cried out for help and pleaded with passersby to rush him to the hospital, the assailant continued the assault.”
The killing, he noted, has left the community devastated and raised urgent concerns about security and the protection of young citizens.
Maccido called on the Sokoto State Government and security agencies to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect.
“We demand accountability. This must not be swept under the carpet. Justice must be served to prevent a recurrence,” he stressed.
He further revealed that until his death, Halilu was a dedicated volunteer teacher who taught at GDSS Minanata and Dallatu Model Primary School within the Sokoto metropolis.
“Despite his young age, he was committed to educating younger students. His death is not only a loss to his family but to the entire community,” he added.
He also lamented that the deceased left behind a wife and children, describing the tragedy as a “devastating and irreparable loss” to his dependents.
Also speaking,
practitioner Barrister Ibrahim Muhammad of I.M. Jariri and Co. Chambers pledged to ensure that justice is pursued diligently.
“We will not rest until justice takes its full course,” he declared. “This is a clear case of criminality, and the law must take its course.”
The organizers reiterated their determination to follow through on the case, urging authorities to act swiftly and transparently.
They warned that any failure to deliver justice could erode public confidence and embolden criminal elements within the society.
As mourning continues in Minanata, calls for justice are intensifying, with many insisting that the killing of Malam Usman Halilu must serve as a decisive moment in confronting violence and impunity at the grassroots level.
