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Khabib calls for societal change following murder of Dagestani politician

Khabib Nurmagomedov is calling for unity and societal change in Dagestan following the murder of a beloved Dagestani politician.

The retired UFC lightweight champion took to social media after reports emerged that Abakar Kaplanov, the former head of the village of Novokuli, was killed over an alleged land dispute on Saturday. It was believed that he had a “long-standing enmity” with two villagers, both of whom are members of the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardia). He was reportedly shot 36 times, which resulted in hundreds of people taking to the streets.

Faced with a chaotic scene, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan deployed more than 130 police officers to maintain order and “prevent the escalation of the conflict.