Armed Robbers Kill NNPC GMD’s Brother

NNPC GMD

The spate of insecurity ravaging the north has continued with yet another attack on Mr Yohanna Yakubu , 47, the younger brother of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),  Mr. Andrew La'ah Yakubu. The younger Yakubu was murdered yesterday by suspected armed robbers in Idon village, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, about 110 kilometres away from the state capital, Kaduna.

The deceased, who was a member of staff of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), was said to have been travelling for a burial in a village in Zangon Kataf Local Government 

Area when bandits, suspected to be Fulani, killed him. He was in company with his wife and 

daughter when they ran into the robbers.

The robbers were said to have collected money and other personal belongings from him before shooting him to death.

His wife, who was however said to be unhurt, was in a state of coma.

An aide to the GMD who confirmed yesterday that Yohanna was killed by gunmen in Kaduna declined to comment on the state of the deceased’s wife, who was also said to have sustained bullet wounds.

“I learnt that his wife was also shot, but I could not see her either at home or in the hospital. I only saw the body of the husband, my GMD’s younger brother,” said the source.

According to the source, the deceased, who resides in Kaduna with his family, only wanted to visit his village, which is very close to the Kaduna refinery.  His plan, the source added, was to return to the city yesterday evening, but as fate would have it, he was killed very close to his village.

Family sources also confirmed the incident and explained that the deceased left for the village yesterday morning along with his wife.

It was learnt that on receiving the shocking news, the NNPC boss rushed to Kaduna over the incident.

It was further learnt that robbers, believed to be Fulani have suddenly taken over the Kaduna – Kachia – Jos road terrorising travellers almost on a daily basis. 

Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Aminu Lawan, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), were fruitless as he did not pick calls from THISDAY nor respond to text a message sent to him.

Meanwhile, NNPC management and staff have expressed deep condolences with their GMD over the death of his brother, who joined the NNPC in July 1987.

The acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Tumini Green, said in a statement that the 47-year-old engineer, who until his death was the chief operator at the Power Plant and Utilities Department of the Kaduna Refinery was killed while travelling to his village, Ungwar Wakili in Zango Kataf Local Government Area. “While we await the outcome of the police investigation into this sad event, our prayers and commiseration remain with the entire Yakubu family and we implore the Almighty to give them the fortitude to bear this great loss," the statement said.