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On Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, Benue-based humanitarian and rights activist Ukan P. Kurugh has once again called for justice in the case of 22-year-old student Emmanuella Myina Ahenjir, who was fatally shot by a stray bullet allegedly fired by police officers during a stop-and-search operation in Makurdi.
The incident occurred on May 16, 2025, at the Wurukum Roundabout, just a day before what would have been Emmanuella’s 23rd birthday on December 24, 2003—making her death particularly poignant during the Christmas season. Emmanuella, a final-year student at Kwararafa University (also referred to in some reports as Federal University) in Wukari, Taraba State, was reportedly returning home with friends in a vehicle when the shooting happened. According to Kurugh, she was unarmed and posed no threat.
Speaking in Makurdi, Kurugh lamented that promises of investigation by the Benue State Police Command have not resulted in any tangible action or accountability seven months later, with no officers publicly identified or prosecuted. The case initially sparked widespread protests and outrage in May 2025, but the activist noted it appears to have faded without resolution.
Kurugh revealed he has submitted petitions to relevant authorities, including the Inspector-General of Police, seeking a transparent probe and prosecution of those responsible. He warned that continued inaction erodes public trust in law enforcement and intensifies the grief of the bereaved family.
“Emmanuella had dreams. She deserved to live, to graduate, and to celebrate many more birthdays,” Kurugh stated, urging Nigerians to keep her memory alive and insist that her life mattered. He emphasized that her death demands justice and should not be forgotten.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident shortly after it occurred, launching an investigation, but no updates on arrests or charges have been publicly reported since. This renewed appeal highlights ongoing concerns over police accountability in Nigeria amid recurring allegations of extrajudicial actions.
