Danladi, a father of one, was on duty alongside his colleague, Pankyes Joshua, on September 29 when armed robbers, numbering over ten broke into the estate and shot him while he was trying to stop them from accessing the compound.
Despite spotting the robbers’ weapons from a distance, Barnabas Danlami didn’t flinch. He could have stepped aside or sounded the alarm from a safe distance, but instead, he followed his gut and chose to confront the danger head-on. It was a split-second decision , one driven by duty, courage, and an instinct to protect the residents under his watch.
Danlami knew the risk. He saw the threat clearly. Yet, he stood his ground, attempting to block the intruders from gaining access to the estate. In that moment, he prioritised others over himself , a decision that ultimately cost him his life.
He died at Maitama General Hospital, where he was rushed after bleeding for over an hour while the robbers continued their operation in the estate.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, Joshua, the surviving security guard on duty and a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, said, “We were on duty , my late colleague and I , when, around 3:00 a.m., the armed robbers jumped into the compound through the fence. They shot at the padlock on the gate, and that was when Danladi stood up to check what was happening , and he was shot.”
“They forced me to lie down and warned me not to raise my head. One of the robbers stayed outside to watch over me. At that point, my colleague who had been shot was still struggling and bleeding. He had run to the back of the building, where he collapsed in a room and was crying for help. The man assigned to watch us collected our phones to prevent us from calling for help. The others later entered the building and began robbing all the tenants.”
He said he was lucky to be alive, as the robbers could easily have shot him as well. He blamed the lack of security in the area and the slow response to the situation for his colleague’s death, noting that “Barnabas bled for over an hour before help could come.”
According to him, “After the armed robbers left, I went to check on my colleague who had been badly shot. I tied the area where he was bleeding to try to stop it and began looking for help. One of the residents came down and started shouting, and we were all trying to find someone who could give us a car key so we could take the wounded security man to the hospital. While we were shouting and searching for help, we found Sommie lying face down on the ground. It was after we found her that the police arrived. A resident then gave us his car key , he couldn’t drive himself out of fear , and we took Barnabas to the hospital in that car, while the police took Sommie to the same hospital.”
Also, the national public relations officer of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, to which the late Barnabas belonged, Commander Philip Amanyi, said Barnabas was given a hero’s burial in his village in Niger State. He lamented that the young security guard left behind a widow and a son who is less than a year old. He noted, “The vigilante organisation is a voluntary group with no budget except contributions. We decided to contribute what little we could to support his burial and his family.”
He also revealed that the late Barnabas was buried on October 4, 2025. However, he called for greater support for vigilante groups, emphasising their vital role as first responders in the community.
He said security is a battle against the bad elements in society, and when fighting such elements, you don’t go empty-handed. “We need support. We need operational vehicles, and we need a good budget , no matter how small , to encourage the young men who are carrying out their duties and securing the people,” Amanyi stated.
Meanwhile, one of Barnabas’ relatives, Victor Tukura, said, “He was a dedicated person who loved his job deeply. Anytime he was called upon, he answered, even if it was in the middle of the night. Whenever Barnabas was needed for assistance, he would respond immediately without delay.”
He noted that this dedication was exemplified in the way Barnabas died trying to protect the tenants without thinking of saving himself first.
12 Suspects Arrested
However, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced the arrest of 12 suspected armed robbers believed to be responsible for the deaths during the robbery incident at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.
The arrested suspects include: Shamsudeen Hassan, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Hassan Isah, 22, from Zaria, Kaduna State; Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba), 27, from Musawa LGA, Katsina State; Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume), 20, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Mashkur Jamili (a.k.a. Abba), 28, from Igabi LGA, Kaduna State; Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule), 21, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Abdulsalam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu), from Katsina LGA, Katsina State.
Others are , Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska), 23, from Chikun LGA, Kaduna State; Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan), 30, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby), 27, from Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State; Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati), 25, from Zaria LGA, Kaduna State; and Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small), 31, from Maiduguri LGA, Borno State.
FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the arrests, noting that four of the suspects, Shamsudeen, Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo, were initially apprehended shortly after the robbery and have since confessed to their involvement.
The police said that during interrogation, Shamsudeen admitted to shooting the security guard when he tried to stop them from entering the premises, while Sirajo confessed that he tried to hold Maduagwu as she fell from the third floor but was overwhelmed by her weight. Shamsudeen further admitted that he drove away the victims’ white Honda CR-V after the operation.
The suspects revealed that they each received ₦200,000 from the proceeds of the crime.
Recovered exhibits from the gang include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one locally-made pistol, one pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones, two sharp knives, one cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation. The police disclosed.
The police said further arrests were made on October 8, when operatives acting on intelligence intercepted three gang members, including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah, while they were on their way to another planned armed robbery in Maitama.
All the suspects are currently in custody and have reportedly confessed to the crimes.
