A middle-aged man identified as Joseph Ayuba has died after collapsing while attempting to separate a fight between a couple in the Dogon-Ruwa community of Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, July 22, around 5:23 p.m., shortly after Ayuba returned from his farm. According to community resident Barnabas Yakubu, the deceased was preparing to bathe when he heard commotion from his neighbours’ room and rushed out to intervene.
“He heard his neighbour beating the wife and abandoned his sponge and bucket of water to intervene,” Yakubu told Daily Trust. “But in the process of separating them, he slumped.”
Witnesses said Ayuba, who was known to be in good health before the incident, was immediately rushed to a clinic in nearby Gawu town. However, medical personnel on duty pronounced him dead upon arrival.
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In response to the incident, the chief of Dogon-Ruwa community reportedly mobilised local vigilantes and ordered the arrest of the fighting couple. They were subsequently handed over to security operatives in Gawu.
Speaking on the matter, a vigilante member identified as Ibrahim said the altercation between the couple was over a minor misunderstanding.
“We were shocked to hear that someone died trying to stop them,” he said. “It was just a small issue that escalated.”
Ayuba’s body has since been transported to his hometown in Paiko, Niger State, where he was laid to rest.
The Gawu Divisional Police have confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding Ayuba’s sudden collapse and death.