Ex-Senator Mandiya Found Dead in Abuja Home After 72-Hour Absence

On Monday, September 7, 2026, the lifeless body of former Nigerian Senator Bello Mandiya was discovered in his Abuja residence's bathroom. This occurred roughly 72 hours after colleagues last observed him on Friday, September 4 at around 11am.

Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central in the Senate, provided these particulars during floor proceedings. Mandiya had occupied his apartment unaccompanied since that Friday morning.

As Ningi recounted, Mandiya intended to participate in Friday congregational prayers and entered the bathroom to wash. He then slipped upon exiting and struck his head against the bathroom fixtures.

His solitary living arrangement meant that no one noticed his condition immediately. Three days elapsed before his absence triggered alarm: the chief imam of Apo mosque grew troubled when Mandiya missed three consecutive prayer sessions, spurring residents to conduct a welfare visit that revealed the tragedy.

During October Senate sessions, Ningi shared his account, and video footage subsequently became widely shared via social media platforms. He was traveling in Saudi Arabia when his son called with news of Mandiya's passing.

Among Senate colleagues, the incident prompted contemplation regarding life's fragility and the reality that holding political office provides no immunity from sudden misfortune. Katsina South had been Mandiya's former senatorial constituency.

The three-day delay in locating his body, stemming from his isolated residence, meant that timely medical assistance became impossible during a window when intervention might have changed outcomes.