Promise Dikko, the reigning queen of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), has narrated the tragic story of how bandits killed her fiancé, Ifeanyi, a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army, just months before their planned wedding. Ms Dikko, a Banking and Finance undergraduate at UNIJOS, declined to disclose her fiancé’s full name for security reasons during an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday evening, referring to him only as Ifeanyi.
Loss of Contact
The Edo-born lady recounted that she spoke with her fiancé on Monday morning and afternoon before suddenly losing contact with him. Initially, she assumed it was a network problem or a fault with his phone. “We spoke on Monday morning until the afternoon, and his number stopped connecting. Then I thought it was a network issue, or maybe his phone was having issues. I called, but there was no response,” she said.
“On Tuesday morning, I started getting worried. I tried reaching his sister to see if she had spoken to him, but got no response. I started asking his coursemate and anybody I could lay my hand on that has a connection with him. They told me they would get back to me. Unfortunately for me, then, he was already dead because the incident happened on Monday evening. So, I finally found out on Tuesday. His brother told me. The incident happened in Kaduna State, in Rigasa, along the Kaduna River.”
Ms Dikko disclosed that bandits killed her fiancé during an operation after intercepting him and his colleagues, stressing that he was not kidnapped.
Planned Wedding Shattered
The tragedy struck just months before the couple’s planned wedding, which had been fixed for 27 December 2026. According to Ms Dikko, they had already made substantial preparations. “Our wedding is supposed to be on 27 December 2026. I’ve made a lot of preparations. We have paid for a lot of things, but shit happened. One thing I wanted to highlight in your statement is that I am proud of him,” she said.
A Hero’s Tribute
Describing her late fiancé as a patriot who loved his country, Ms Dikko said he died trying to save others. “He gave his life while trying to save people. I am very proud of him. He’s a fighter. All those kinds of soldiers that still have their nation at heart and are ready to fight for the betterment. I’m very, very proud of him. The only thing I’m sad about is that I don’t get to spend the rest of my life with him. I will miss him. But I love him. He’s my hero.”
When asked whether military authorities had commented on the incident, Ms Dikko said she was not concerned about official reactions. “He’s a lieutenant in the military. I don’t know if the military has made any statements. And I don’t care if they have. The military has protocols. So, I will not question whether they make a statement.”
Social Media Announcement
Earlier, Ms Dikko announced her fiancé’s death in a Facebook post that drew sympathy from friends and followers. Sharing what appeared to be one of their pre-wedding photographs, she revealed that the image had been saved for a happier occasion. “RIP my hero. I kept this photo to post it when it is close to the wedding date. 27th December was supposed to be the date. We have made prep and bookings. But you left me. Bandit killed you for me. Nigeria happened to me. Rest easy, my hero,” she wrote.
Rising Insecurity in Nigeria
The killing adds to the growing number of Nigerians affected by the country’s worsening insecurity. In recent months, bandits have carried out deadly attacks and kidnappings across several states, leaving scores dead and many others displaced. This newspaper reported that bandits killed and abducted scores of people in Zamfara, Kwara, Katsina, Oyo and other states in previous months.
In Zamfara State, bandits killed at least 10 people and injured several others during a late evening attack on Bunkasau village in the Bukkuyum area. In Katsina, gunmen attacked two farming settlements in Bakori Local Government Area, killing at least 11 people, including a local security guard and an unidentified pregnant woman.
Suspected bandits also killed at least five residents and three soldiers in attacks on Mari and Dina communities in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. Local sources said the attackers also abducted several women and children during the raid. In Oyo State, gunmen abducted about 32 people from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, all located in the Oriire Local Government Area. The captors killed one of the victims, a mathematics teacher named Michael Oyedokun, while he was in captivity.
