Isma’il Ishaq Magaji, has died after being struck by a stray bullet during a land dispute in his hometown.

Magaji, a student in the Department of Public Administration, was reportedly caught in the incident in Wawa, located in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The university confirmed his death in a statement issued on Saturday by its Deputy Registrar, Information, Alhaji Baba Akote.

The incident has thrown the university community into mourning, with the institution describing the death as a painful loss to Magaji’s family, classmates, friends and colleagues.

According to the university, Magaji was hit by a stray bullet while a dispute over land was unfolding in the community. The circumstances surrounding the shooting have not been fully disclosed, and there was no immediate public confirmation from the police on the incident.

Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Mohammed Sulaiman, expressed condolences to the deceased student’s family and other members of the university community affected by the loss.

Sulaiman described the incident as distressing and prayed for the repose of Magaji’s soul, while asking God to give his family and loved ones the strength to cope with the loss.

The Vice-Chancellor also appealed to the communities involved in the dispute to avoid further confrontation and seek a peaceful resolution to the disagreement.

He urged the parties to embrace dialogue, exercise restraint and prioritise peaceful coexistence, warning that continued violence could result in further loss of lives.

The death highlights the risks that community disputes can pose to people who may not be directly involved in the issues being contested. In this case, the student was reportedly struck by a stray bullet during a dispute in his home community, cutting short his university education.

Magaji was in his final year of study and was pursuing Public Administration at IBB University, Lapai. His death comes as the institution continues to mourn the loss of a student who was approaching the completion of his undergraduate programme.

The university community is expected to continue offering support to the deceased’s family, classmates and friends as arrangements surrounding his burial and other matters are made.

The incident has also renewed calls for communities involved in land disagreements to use lawful and peaceful mechanisms to settle disputes rather than allowing conflicts to escalate into violence.

For the university, the immediate concern remains the welfare of the deceased student’s family and the need to prevent similar incidents from claiming more lives.

The circumstances of the land dispute and the events leading to the fatal shooting remain subject to further clarification by the relevant authorities.