GUNMEN KILL BROTHER OF KADUNA GOVERNOR’S AIDE IN SOUTHERN KADUNA . (PHOTO).

 Gunmen Kill Brother Of Kaduna Governor’s Aide In Southern Kaduna 

Gunmen have killed Kefas Habila Averik, the brother of Rachel Averik, Special Assistant on Political Affairs to the Governor of Kaduna State, during a late-night attack in Hayin Gada, Arak 1, Sanga Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred around midnight on December 31, 2025, when armed assailants reportedly stormed the residence and began firing sporadically while calling on the victim to open the door.

Kefas Averik, 33, was inside the room with his wife, Joy, and their child at the time of the attack. According to residents, he refused to open the door, prompting the gunmen to break a window, force their way into the room, and shoot him in the head before fleeing the scene.

A local resident said the attackers struck while people were asleep.

“Unknown gunmen entered the house and went straight to Kefas Habila Averik’s residence. He was inside the room with his wife and child. When he refused to open the door, they broke the window, shot him, and fled,” the resident said.

Confirming the incident, Rachel Averik described the killing as sad and unfortunate. She said her brother had instructed his wife to take their child into the bathroom and hide when the gunmen attempted to force their way into the apartment.

“They were shining torches for a long time and shooting. Kefas was shouting, but nobody could come out because of the gunshots,” she said.

The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, stated that further inquiries were being conducted and that more details would be provided in due course.

The killing comes exactly one year after Rachel Averik reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Southern Kaduna. The earlier attack occurred on January 2, 2025, along the Tsauni Majidadi–Gani axis in Sanga Local Government Area while she was returning to Gwantu after a condolence visit and the commissioning of a hospital in Arak Chiefdom.