The National Open University of Nigeria is mourning the death of its bursar, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa, following a reported shooting in Zamfara State. His death was announced in an official notice issued on Sunday, September 6, 2026, by the university’s Registrar and Secretary to Council, Oladipo Adetayo Ajayi, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Governing Council, management, senate, employees and students of the university.
According to the institution, information available to its management indicated that Marafa was shot while returning from Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. The university did not, however, provide a detailed account of the incident. It did not disclose the exact location where the shooting occurred, the time of the attack, Marafa’s destination, or whether he was traveling alone. It also did not say whether any other person was killed, injured, or abducted, and the identity of the attackers, along with their possible motive, remains unknown.
As of the time of this report, there was no public statement from the Zamfara State Police Command confirming the circumstances of the shooting or announcing an investigation. The police had also not publicly identified any suspect, disclosed whether arrests had been made, or established whether the incident was a targeted killing, an attempted abduction or part of a wider attack on travelers. In the absence of an official security account, it would be premature to attribute Marafa’s death to bandits, kidnappers or any other criminal group operating in Zamfara. Although the state has experienced repeated attacks on communities and travelers, that wider security situation does not by itself establish who was responsible for the shooting or why Marafa was attacked.
Marafa formally assumed office as bursar of NOUN on September 17, 2022, taking over from his predecessor, Ernest Odeigah, during a handover at the university’s headquarters in Abuja. His appointment was for a five year term expected to run through September 2027, meaning his death occurred about a year before the scheduled completion of his tenure. Before his elevation to bursar, Marafa had served as deputy bursar and held several other positions of responsibility within the university. As bursar, he was one of NOUN’s principal officers, playing a central role in the management of the institution’s finances, accounts and financial administration. During his 2022 handover, he expressed appreciation to his predecessor for how the bursary had been managed and spoke to the importance of maintaining efficiency and professionalism within the department.
NOUN described Marafa as a dedicated and committed administrator who served the institution meritoriously throughout his career, approaching his responsibilities with a strong sense of duty and contributing to the university’s advancement through the various positions he occupied. The institution called his death a profound loss to the Governing Council, management, senate, employees, students and the wider university community, and extended its condolences to his immediate family, relatives, friends and professional colleagues, describing him as a distinguished administrator and valued member of the NOUN community.
In a subsequent notice signed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration, Professor Shehu Usman Adamu, the university announced that a Janaza Ga’ib prayer would be held for Marafa on Monday, September 7, immediately after the 1:30 p.m. Zuhr prayer at the NOUN Jumaat Mosque in Jabi, Abuja. Former Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the NOUN Governing Council, Mallam Isa Yuguda, is expected to join other Muslim worshippers at the prayer, alongside the Vice Chancellor, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, who is also expected to attend and offer condolences to Marafa’s family and the university’s Muslim community. NOUN invited relatives, friends, colleagues and well wishers to attend and remember the deceased, adding that further information concerning burial arrangements would be announced once communicated by the family.
Several critical questions surrounding Marafa’s death remain unanswered. Security authorities have yet to identify the road on which the incident occurred, explain how the attack unfolded, or confirm whether Marafa was specifically targeted. Until those details are supplied by the police, his family, or another competent authority, the confirmed information remains simply that Marafa has died and that NOUN was informed that he was reportedly shot while returning from Gusau.
