Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, popularly known as Buhun Barkonun, has passed away in Abuja following a hotel incident involving a woman.
Yusuf, 47, served as the Senior Special Assistant on Community Development to the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. According to SaharaReporters, he checked into a hotel in the Karu-Jikwoyi area of the FCT on Tuesday, September 8, 2025, with a woman identified as Ruth. While he refused food throughout his stay, he reportedly consumed large amounts of alcohol.
On the morning of his death, Ruth allegedly bought him an energy drink after noticing his worsening state. Moments later, Yusuf collapsed and went into a coma. Hotel staff and Ruth rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of his death.
Yusuf, widely known as Buhun Barkonun, was a prominent voice against the #EndSARS protests of October 2020. The movement, which spread across major Nigerian cities for over two weeks, called for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious police unit accused of brutality, killings, and corruption.
During the protests, Yusuf wrote to then-Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, urging demonstrators to vacate key roads in Abuja. Speaking on behalf of the Indigenous People of the FCT, he warned that the protests were disrupting economic and social activities and could provoke unrest among residents.
