Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State and a member of APC chieftaincy, narrowly escaped an assassination plot in Abuja on Friday, August 15, 2025.
The attacked took place immediately after Juma’at prayers as he was returning home. Masked armed men dressed in black attire and carrying sophisticated guns stopped his car before making a quick getaway in a black unmarked Prado Jeep.
In a statement issued by the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, Shinkafi described the attempt at his life as revenge for his outspoken stance on national security, particularly the current insecurity in Zamfara State.
“This was an unjustified attempt on my life,” he said. “But I shall not be deterred by harassment or intimidation in the cause of national security, peace, unity, and social development.”
He disclosed that his Abuja residence previously had threatening calls made to it from anonymous numbers, which he suspected were linked to the assault.
Shinkafi, a security expert and vocal anti-banditry critic, has frequently warned relatives of kidnapped victims against paying ransom, arguing that it empowers bandits to purchase additional weapons. His position, he believes, may have angered criminal gangs, such as wanted kingpin Turji Bello, who threatened his life recently in a viral video.
He requested the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the DSS to initiate a prompt investigation with a view to bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors to light.
Terming the incident as a violation of his constitutional rights more particularly the right to life and freedom of speech under the 1999 Constitution Shinkafi again called for more intense military action in the North-West, reaffirming national security is key to the survival of democracy and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prospects for re-election.
Security agencies are yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
