A lecturer with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria Dr. Mohammad Bello Hassan was yesterday, shot dead along Katsina-Zamfara road.
Dr. Mohammad Bello Hassan who is from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute for Agricultural Research, ABU, Zaria, was murdered by armed bandits on his way back from Zamfara on an official engagement, 23 June 2020.
Dr. MB Hassan, as he was popularly known, was the immediate past Head of Extension Unit, IAR Samaru. He is an alumnus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa where he did his PhD. in Agricultural Economics.
Dr. Hassan has been described as a kind, humble, hardworking, and open person who is loved by his students and colleagues alike.
According to sheriff Issa Iyanda, who was supervised by Dr. M.B Hassan during his project, “if anyone of us know this man, you will never wish him death if you’re a rational being. May Allah in His infinite mercy should forgive his shortcomings and reward him with al-Jannah Firdaus.”
Muhammad Rislam, a colleague of Dr MB Hassan wrote, “The last assignment I did before leaving Nigeria was together with him. The Institute (IAR) was called upon by KNARDA to train its newly employed agricultural extension agents in the state.
“He was our Team leader and we travelled to Kadawa to conduct the training. The training took place in May 2018 and I left Nigeria in June 2018. We (public servant especially in the Agric field) constantly put our lives at risk in the conduct of our duties.
“I can’t count how many times I have traveled to remote areas in North-West, North-East, and North-Central to establish experiments, collect data, or to meet farmers. I once returned home (Zaria) from Nasarawa state in the middle of the night.
“We don’t want accolades, but we pray that those whose responsibility it is to provide security do so. Isn’t the bloodshed not enough? It might not matter to you, but investors at home and abroad who know MB Hassan, will certainly feel bad and be discouraged from ever returning!! Who are we making all the infrastructures for, when there is no one to enjoy them.
“We will all die one day and on that, we are all helpless. His death couldn’t have been delayed by a fraction of a second. His time was up and such was the way Allah has destined he will leave the world; in the brutal hands of armed bandits/kidnappers. He can never be replaced as we have seen from the brutal murder of Professor AM Falaki.”
In his tribute, Aliyu Ammani wrote: “We’re ultimately leaving this world. We first met many years ago when I returned to my alma mater to salvage what remained of a post-graduate programme I abandoned some 7 years earlier.
“He was then staff in training, we became course mates, friends. When I transferred my services to my alma mater, our paths continue to cross especially when he was Head of the Extension Unit of the Institute for Agricultural Research.
“Our last joint assignment, still ongoing, was the task of teaching the undergraduate course AGEC 413 in the now protracted first semester of this academic session.
“This afternoon, just before zuhr prayers, I received the shocking sad news that this fine gentleman and resourceful academic was murdered in cold blood by armed bandits while on assignment in Zamfara State yesterday the 23rd of June 2020.
“This is a great loss to IAR, FOA, and the entire ABU Community.”
The burial rites would be performed at 4.00 PM, today Wednesday, 24/06/2020 at his residence.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, grant him Jannahtul Firdausi and give the family the fortitude to bear this huge loss.
