Francis Nansak, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government has come hard, fumes in upright condemnation over the action and inactions of some students of the Nasarawa State University Keffi, who looted palliatives meant to be distributed, leading to the death of three students as 17 others suffered varying injuries.
It was reported that as early as 7 am on Friday, students broke into the convocation square of the university, where Four thousand 7.5 kg of rice were assembled for distribution to 4000 students.
New National Star recalled that the state government had after it state wide palliatives distribution deemed it necessary to replicating same to students of tertiary schools in the state, as it kicked started the distribution from Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State Polytechnic, College of Agriculture Science and Technology to College of Education Akwanga seamlessly.
Unfortunately the proposed palliative distribution for the students of the university was however marred by looting that led to the alleged death of 3, a male and two female students.
Reacting, the state government through the Deputy Governor Dr Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe expresses profound disappointment and condemned the action and inaction of the students that looted the bags of rice, while he condoles with the families of the deceased as well as the university community.
Dr Akabe in an interview with journalists in Keffi after his visit to the federal medical center Keffi, where the students were taken for medical attention, said the unfortunate incident perpetrated by some students is in it entirety condemnable and that government will set up an investigative committee who shall sit to root out the causes and those behind the act will be fished if found culpable to the act shall face disciplinary actions”He added.
Dr Akabe however confirmed that only two students were reportedly feared death as a result of the stampede.
Also, the Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi have confirmed the death of two students with 14 others injured.
Dr Ahmed Kana, Head of Clinical Services of the institution confirmed the casualty number in an interview with newsmen.
“The governor was scheduled to extend the same gesture to students of NSUK on Friday but even before he arrived, some students visited the location of the palliative at the university convocation square and looted it causing mayhem and stampede of some students in the process.
“Two students were confirmed dead and both were females while out of the 14 wounded casualties brought to the medical center, only one was a male.
“For now most of them are stable and we are resuscitating others and by God’s grace some of them will go home very soon” Dr Kana said.
He appreciated the effort of the security agencies for handling the situation appropriately.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Vice Chancellor Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed has threatens to shot down the university should the student fell short of being law abiding.
Professor Suleiman postulated that” Today is a very sad day in the history of the Nasarawa State University Keffi. It is a day that the state government has provided palliative for Four Thousand Students, 4000 bags of rice with some monies attached and unfortunately our students were not patient enough to follow the due process on accessing these palliative.
“There was stampede, so many students got injured and two others lost their lives, so the government decided to sent the deputy governor to come for first hand information of the matter, he was at the hospital were he confirmed injuries as well as the lost of two of our students
“He also came into the campus, we Ve had meeting were we reviewed the situation and agreed that the university would set up a high powered committee to investigate this matter and come up with recommendations and on her path the state government will also set up a high powered investigative committee, so that we will look at those who are directly responsible and if we find them culpable, they will be sanction appropriately” He added.