The killing of Kano-based social media commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu, has brought renewed attention to a warning he issued weeks earlier over alleged threats to his life.
Dan Shagamu, 54, was killed at his residence in Gaida, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, in the early hours of Wednesday after unidentified men reportedly broke into his home.
Weeks before the attack, the commentator had posted a video in which he appealed to the Kano State Government, the Emir of Kano and the police to intervene over what he described as persistent harassment and death threats from people living around him.
“I need the support of the Kano governor, emir of Kano and the police. I have been receiving death threats from my neighbours,” he said in the video.
He alleged that children in the neighbourhood frequently pelted him with stones, damaged his television and gathered around his residence to hurl insults at him.
Dan Shagamu said he had sought the intervention of traditional authorities, reporting the matter to the Gaida village head, who subsequently referred it to the Ja’en village head.
He claimed, however, that the alleged threats and harassment persisted.
“They are after me, and they are our neighbours’ children. The neighbours are aware but have conspired. I am asking for help, please,” he said.
He also shared footage purportedly showing children gathered outside his residence, which he said included threats against his life.
His concerns have assumed greater significance following his death, although the police have yet to establish whether the earlier threats were connected to the killing.
The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the arrest of two suspects in connection with the incident.
Kiyawa said preliminary investigations had not linked the killing to Dan Shagamu’s activities on social media, describing the suspected motive as “pure envy and hatred by neighbours.”
Dan Shagamu was a prominent voice in Kano’s social media space, where he operated under the name Dan Shagamu International.
Through his videos and commentaries, he regularly weighed in on political, religious and community issues, often taking strong positions on controversial matters.
He was also an outspoken critic of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and openly promoted opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he once referred to as the “incoming President.”
His commentary extended to religious debates in Kano, including controversies involving Islamic clerics.
With his death now under investigation, his earlier public appeal for protection has become a significant part of the questions surrounding the attack.
The circumstances of the reported threats, the response to his complaints and whether they had any connection with the killing are among the issues likely to attract attention as the police investigation progresses.
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