Six years after, Borno mother continues to mourn son who died saving others from suicide bomber

Six years ago, on January 25, 2017, Yakubu Fanami, a young mosque guard in Borno State, prevented a female Boko Haram suicide bomber from killing tens of worshipers. He bravely sacrificed himself so others could live.

The suicide bomber was heading toward the congregation when Yakubu stopped her from gaining access to the mosque. The suicide bomber detonated the explosive and killed herself and Yakubu.

However, other worshippers were saved. At the time, Yakubu was an SS1 student in a secondary school in Kalare, Borno.

The Scoop Storytelling Initiative visited Yakubu’s mother, Altine Musa, who is still grieving her son’s death.

She recalled that he went to pray at the Friday mosque that day, and when she heard the deafening sound of a detonated bomb, she rushed outside, telling people that her son was there at the mosque.

However, they held her back, saying she could not go further. Later, she learned of his death and was asked if she was ready to see his corpse, to which she replied, “Yes.”

She described her son as one of the most generous people she had ever known, saying his willingness to help people around him always awed her.

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The chief Imam at the Friday mosque, Mallam Muhammad Musa, said no one had ever imagined that a mosque guard like Yakubu could die for others.

“We never imagined him giving out his life to protect them,” said the chief Imam.

“That was a boundary everybody was shocked he could cross.”

He added that Yakubu died a martyr, and Allah would surely reward him.

However, the Imam accused the government of neglecting them, stating that there was no intervention by the government to help the victims of the bombing.

Survivors and victims of the attack also remember Yakubu. Umar Ali, a survivor of the attack, recalls that they were all outside when the female suicide bomber appeared, wearing a long hijab.

One of the elderly guards asked her to lift her hijab and reveal what she was holding, but she refused.

Yakubu then carried a stick and attempted to hit her with it, which scared her, and they both exploded.

The elderly guard lost an eye from the attack. The explosion threw them in different directions, but Yakubu died instantly.

Saleh Amin, Director of Darussalam Academy, where Yakubu was once a student, described him as a “regular and cooperative student.”

The news of his death was a shock to the entire school.

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“It’s exceptional for you to sacrifice your life for others. Nobody expected him to go to that extent,” Amin said.

Fatima Sulaiman, one of Yakubu’s teachers at the school, remembers Yakubu carrying her eight-month-old baby a day before he died.

“When we received news of his death, we couldn’t teach, even the students were crying,” she said.

Yakubu’s friend Abduljabbar Abba said he wasn’t surprised that Yakubu acted heroically.

He recalled that Yakubu had a keen sense of responsibility and would never shy away from helping others.

“He was always there for people,” he said.

“He was a friend indeed.” Yakubu’s sacrifice is a testament to his bravery, selflessness, and love for others.