The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of its Bursar, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa, who was reportedly shot dead while returning from Gusau, Zamfara State.
The university announced the death of the senior administrator in an official notice issued by its Registrar and Secretary to Council, Oladipo Ajayi.
According to the institution, Marafa was shot while on his way back from Gusau on Sunday, September 6, 2026. However, further details surrounding the circumstances of the attack were not immediately disclosed.
The university described the incident as the “sudden and untimely passing” of its Bursar, whose death has left members of the university community in grief.
Marafa was appointed Bursar of NOUN in September 2022 and had served the institution in several capacities before his appointment to the position.
During his years of service, he was regarded as a committed university administrator who contributed to the financial and administrative operations of the institution.
NOUN said his death was a major loss to the university, affecting members of its Governing Council, management, Senate, staff and students.
The university also extended its condolences to his immediate family, relatives, friends and colleagues, praying for strength and comfort for those affected by the tragedy.
While the identity of those responsible for the shooting and the circumstances surrounding the incident were yet to be officially clarified, the development has generated shock and sadness within Nigeria’s academic community.
The university announced that a Janaza Ga’ib prayer would be held in honour of the late Bursar on Monday, September 7, after the 1:30pm Zuhr prayer at the NOUN Jumaat Mosque in Jabi, Abuja.
The tragic death of Marafa has once again brought attention to the growing security concerns affecting travellers and communities in different parts of Nigeria.
For the NOUN community, however, the incident represents more than another security statistic. It marks the sudden loss of a key member of the university’s leadership and administration, whose death has brought mourning to one of Nigeria’s leading institutions of open and distance learning.
