Community Elders Condemn “Character Assassination” In Reports On Activist Yunusa Yusuf’s Death
By Toyin Adebayo
Copyright independent
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been thrown into grief and anger over the death of Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, popularly known as Buhun Barkonun, with community elders and associates condemning what they described as a “tarnished” media narrative surrounding the activist’s passing.
Initial reports citing unnamed police sources alleged that the 39-year-old Senior Special Assistant on Community Development to the AMAC Chairman died during a “sex romp” in a Karu-Jikwoyi hotel on September 8, after consuming alcohol and an energy drink.
But elders, family, and associates have strongly denounced the account, describing it as an attempt to desecrate the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to the struggle of Abuja’s original inhabitants.
Elder Danjuma Tanko Dara, coordinator of the FCT Senior Citizens Forum, told journalists: “This is 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, but we can, and we must not allow his memory to be reduced to vile gossip.”
He urged the public to remember Yusuf for his advocacy: “Let us speak of the man who fought tirelessly for the interest of Abuja’s natives.
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. To remember him only for the way he died is an insult to his legacy.”
Yusuf’s death has reignited conversation about the treatment of activists and public figures in the media, with many insisting that his contributions be given equal, if not greater, attention than the circumstances of his death.
Known for his controversial stance against the 2020 #EndSARS protests in the FCT, Yusuf’s critics and supporters alike acknowledged his influence in shaping discourse around security and indigenous rights.
For his community, however, the message is clear: his legacy must be protected from narratives that strip away the impact of his work.
