The management of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, has confirmed the death of an undergraduate, who fell off a moving vehicle during a protest by students of the institution.
The incident, it was learnt, occurred on Tuesday when the students staged a protest following the kidnap of four of their mates by gunmen at Ndar village the previous day.
Those abducted were three female students, Phoebe Musa, Simi Choji and Janet Zinglat, while the male victim, Stephen Dazang, was also shot in the arm.
Although the abducted students were later rescued, the Dean, Students Affairs, Jacob Nangbes, at a security meeting convened by the university management after the protests, informed the gathering that a 100-level student of Mathematics, identified as Emmanuel Israel, who fell off a moving vehicle lost his life.
A statement issued after the meeting by the spokesman for the university, John Agam, quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Yohanna Izam, as condemning the attack on the students by gunmen
The statement read in part, “As custodians of the students, the university feels deeply aggrieved that such incidents inflict traumatic disorders and toxic stress among staff and students, and are also inimical to the progress of academic activities, which just resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent strike embarked upon by staff members of the university.”
The VC noted that the problem of insecurity nationwide had become a cankerworm and a recurring decimal orchestrated by faceless enemies of the society, who seemed bent on undermining the education sector.
While giving an assurance that the incident was being investigated by security agencies with a view to apprehending the perpetrators, the statement added, “As part of the security measures unveiled by the university management, the vice-chancellor pledged to install a 33kv transformer off campus in the next two weeks while, strategic water intervention will be undertaken off campus through the provision of two boreholes in Ndar and Diram communities.
“He said other intervention measures, including reactivation of the vigilante system, would be worked out by the University Community Relations Committee and cautioned the students to curtail night life due to the infiltration of the university neighbourhood by miscreants, who hide under the cover of darkness to perpetuate various forms of criminality.
“Also during the meeting, the new STF Commander for Bokkos, Major T. T. Kaave, said additional men and materials would be deployed to take out intruders and criminals, who attempt attacking the university community.”
The Registrar of the institution, Mr Amos Mallo, urged the students to prioritise their security and safety rather than indulging in pleasure and leisure.
