In a Facebook post, Somide described the incident as "completely unacceptable" and called on the authorities to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He offered his condolences to Prof. Saidu's family and the university community.
"It's quite disheartening to hear about the passing of my alma mater's Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yusuf Saidu, at the hands of bandits.
"This is completely unacceptable, and I call on the necessary authorities to investigate this menace and bring the culprits to justice.
"My heartfelt condolences go out to Prof. Saidu's family and to the entire Usmanu Danfodiyo University community."
