- September 21, 2022 began like a normal day for Hon Musa Ibrahim Abubakar, the immediate past commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Nasarawa State. There was no inkling of any danger sort awaited him until some gunmen opened fire on his car as he was returning from a visit he paid to some members of his Doma Sout1 Constituency displaced by flood.
Abubakar, who is in his early 40s, had contested the Doma South Constituency’s House of Assembly ticket on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) before withdrawing his aspiration on the party platform to pick the ticket of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
He had temporarily relocated from Lafia, the state capital, to Doma South to canvass support from the grassroots. On the ill-fated day, he had called his family members to crack his usual jokes with them, after which he promised to see them on his return from the rural communities where he had gone to donate relief materials and cash to victims of floods within the communities he is seeking to represent.
Musa then proceeded to the parts of Doma South where many communities were displaced and interacted with the people until late night to ensure that the relief items he donated were distributed as instructed.
Satisfied with what he had seen, he departed the rural area and headed back to Doma main town when he sighted some heavily armed men on the road.
That became the beginning of the aspirant’s trouble as the gunmen immediately opened fire on his car, pumping bullets into his stomach. Miraculously, he survived the attack until he was admitted into the intensive care unit of the hospital where he has since undergone several operations to remove some bullets that lurked in his body.
Uneasy calm prevailed at the premises of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia when our correspondent visited as family members were seen in pensive mood. In the prevailing circumstances, it was an arduous task getting Musa to talk to our correspondent about his travails, particularly because he was in serious pains.
Upon the reporter’s prompting, however, he spoke briefly about his ordeal and the miraculous way he survived the bullets of the gunmen he believed were assassins whose desire was to eliminate him.
With tears rolling down his cheeks as he sat dejected on a wheelchair, Musa recalled that his seat in the car was riddled with bullets.
He said he was returning from Rukubi to Doma town around 5:30 pm when the incident occurred.
He said: “I am in pains, but I want to disclose to the world that on the 21st of this month, I went to Rukubi Town and donated relief materials including cash and other items to victims of flood disaster in my local government of Doma.
“After the donation, I was going back from the town to Doma when about nine gunmen opened fire on me from different directions. The bullets hit my car from the front, which was blocked by my GSM handset, but they shot and hit me on my elbow and back.
“The target was clearly me, as the gunmen shot directly in my direction, and I was badly affected by the bullets, which led me to conclude that they had only one objective: to eliminate me.
“Forty-six bullets hit and penetrated my car. The incident occurred at about 5:30pm close to Igbabo Village about 20 kilometres to Doma Local Government Headquarters.
“I was taken to the hospital where tens of pellets were removed from my body. It is just by God’s grace that I’m alive today.
“If you look at the seat where I sat, you will appreciate the huge miracle? Bullets had gone into the seat where I was sitting. All those bullets would have been on my chest or head if not for God.
“I insist that the perpetrators are high profile politicians outside my party.”
Musa, who holds the traditional title of Dankaden Doma, said after he was shot, he accelerated the car and lowered his head. He said his car stopped when it had nearly reached Igbabo village where he came down an ran towards the people, calling for help.
Following his call for help, some good Samaritans came to his aid by taking him on a motorcycle and rode for 20 kilometres to Doma and then to Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH ) in Lafia, the state capital.
Hon Musa said he was thankful for the first aid provided by the people who used a cloth to tie him because of the blood he was losing.
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At DASH, three bullets, including two from AK-47 bullets from his ribs and one metal ball from his back, were said to have been removed from his body. Doctors were also said to have detected another bullet below his ribs while he still needs to undergo another surgery.
He, however, expressed faith in God that he would not die unfulfilled.
He said: “I believe that I have not accomplished the mission for which I was created. I won’t die without accomplishing my mission.
“But why would somebody want to kill me? Why would somebody kill another person if truely politics is for service?
“If people see politics as a call to service, there will be no need to spill blood to be in power. Those who see politics as their only engagement can be desperate.
“I want to thank God that the devil is a liar and his children will always be protected. Thankfully, I’m still alive.
“But this is a stark reminder that the 2023 political season has started and those who can not win on the field, will seek other ways to attain power.
“Let me assure my well wishers and my supporters that untill I’m dead, what happened will not deterred me. Rather, it has made me more committed to the cause of representing them and their interest at the assembly.
“I’m clearly a threat to a high profile politician in the state. But that high profile politician and his cohorts will soon be exposed.
“In the mean time, I’m asking for prayers and support of my constituents.”
The Executive Chairman of Doma Local Government, Architect Ahmad Sarki Usman, said: “When the news broke, I was shocked to hear of gunmen attacking people, especially at the peak of election. We are peace-loving people who do politics without bitterness.
“I can confirm to you that the matter has been reported to the police authorities,” he said.
The Police Public Relations officer (PPRO) Ramhan Nansel, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “I can confirm the attack on Hon Musa Ibrahim and we are investigating incident to get the perpetrators to face the law.”