By Sarah NEGEDU
The death of prominent Abuja native rights activist and political figure, Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, popularly known as Buhun Barkonun, has sparked grief and outrage amongst locals in the Federal Capital Territory.
Many have expressed their displeasure over a viral media reports that claimed that the 39-year-old died during a “sex romp” in a hotel in the Karu-Jikwoyi area of Abuja on Tuesday, September 8.
The reports, citing unnamed police sources, alleged that the deceased had consumed alcohol and an energy drink before his death.
However, some community leaders, families and associates of the late Yusuf have condemned the reports as a deliberate attempt to desecrate the legacy of a man they described as a fearless advocate for the rights of Abuja’s original inhabitants.
Speaking to a session of the media, the Coordinator of the FCT Senior Citizens Forum, Elder Danjuma Dara, accused the bloggers of character assassination.
In his words, “This is a character assassination of the highest order, a deliberate attempt to soil the name of a man who can no longer defend himself.
“The dead cannot speak. They cannot rebut lies or correct narratives. To tarnish Yunusa’s image in this manner, to reduce his entire life to a few salacious lines in a newspaper, is not just journalism at its worst; it is a profound sin against our culture and the memory of a warrior.”
He therefore urged the public to remember Yusuf for his activism, not the circumstances surrounding his death.
“Let us speak of the man we knew. Let us speak of Buhun Barkonun, the man who fought tirelessly for the interest of the original inhabitants of Abuja.
“He was our voice in the corridors of power, a champion for our land rights, our culture, and our rightful place in this city that has grown on our soil. We are proud of him, even after death, and we will not allow this legacy to be erased by vile gossip.
“He was a man of conviction, whether you agreed with him or not. To remember him only for the way he died is an insult to every project he championed, every life he touched in these communities. Let the police do their job, but let the media and the public do theirs with a sense of humanity and respect,” Dara said.
Yusuf, who until his death was the Senior Special Assistant on Community Development to the AMAC Chairman, gained national attention in 2020 as one of the most vocal critics of the #EndSARS protests in Abuja, a stance his supporters insisted reflected his concerns for security in the FCT.
