Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a 300-level student of the Niger State-owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, in Niger State, by the name, Jafar.
He was killed by unidentified assailants in the early hours of Monday.
The police command, in a statement in Minna by its image maker, 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 said that, the 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.
However, from the students point of view, they said the deceased student, was the only son of his parents.
They said he 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 frequent 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.