- Students barricade highway to protest incessant killing
From John Adams, Minna
A 300-level student of the Niger State-owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, in Niger State, simply identified as Jafar, has been reportedly killed by unidentified assailants in the early hours of Monday.
The deceased student, the only son of his parents, was stabbed to death by his attacker at about 2:30 am when the assailants invaded the students’ private hostels adjacent to the school’s main gate.
This has, however, triggered widespread protest by the students, who have barricaded the ever-busy Lapai-Lambata highway, demanding justice for their late colleague and an end to incessant killings in the university.
The students, who have shut down all academic activities in the school to protest the killing, said it is unacceptable, given the frequent incidents of gruesome murder of innocent students of the university in a similar manner.
They asked the school authorities to, as a matter of urgency, provide security at the off-campus private hostels, where over 80 per cent of the students are said to be residing due to an accommodation shortage in the university.
The protesting students described as unfortunate the attitude of the school authorities, who have continued to turn a blind eye to the security situation at the private hostels.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident, saying that the attack was carried out by hoodlums.
The police command, in a statement in Minna by the Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the police received information at about 3:00 am on Monday that some hoodlums attacked a student lodge at Ndakitabu area of Lapai, adding that police operatives of Lapai Division rushed to the scene, but the suspected attackers had escaped.
“Unfortunately, one Jafar was stabbed in the neck and he was rushed to General Hospital Lapai, where he was later confirmed dead,” the statement said.
“As a result of this, some students barricaded the Agaie-Lapai road, protesting against this incident,” the statement added.
He further disclosed that police tactical teams from the command have been dispatched to Lapai to ensure that normalcy is restored, while an investigation into the unfortunate incident has commenced.
According to him, “The Commissioner of Police has directed that the perpetrators of this heinous crime must be arrested and brought to book,” saying that the incident is truly appalling.
Although the reason for the attack is not yet known, a student source close to the students’ private hostels told our correspondent that it was a pure robbery incident, pointing out that the off-campus hostels have a history of robbery incidents.
“This is what we experience here almost every week. They invade us mostly in the night and rob us of our money and other valuables.
“We don’t have security at the private hostels here, so they come at any time they want, especially when we return from semester breaks.
“Unfortunately, the school authorities don’t care about the security of students residing off-campus. There is not enough accommodation in the school, so about 80 per cent of us stay off-campus,” he added.