Bauchi varsity shuts school over students protest

The management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi has shut down the school following students’ protest over the killing of a 500-level student by suspected armed robbers who robbed him of his mobile phone.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the final year Geology student, Joseph Agabaidu, was stabbed by some assailants while trying to steal his mobile phone.

Agabaidu was said to be returning to his lodge situated around the Yelwan Tudu market in the Yelwa area, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis around 7pm on Saturday when he was attacked and was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment but could not survive the severe injuries from the knife.

The incident sparked a protest among students of the school who came out in their numbers at the Yelwa Campus. They came out to express their anger at the inadequate security in and around the campus and to call for the attention of the management and the government.

But following the protest, the management led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sani Kunya, and the state chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities tried to pacify the students who locked the two gates of the university for over four hours to open them, but they refused.

Following this “act of disrespect” by the students to the management, the school was shut down for the next one week in order to douse tension on the campus.

According to a statement  by the Deputy Registrar Academic, Fatima Abdullahi, titled: “Closure of university,” the Vice Chancellor approved the closure of the institution.

According to her, the protest carried out by “miscreants” disrupted the peace being enjoyed on the campus.

She said that the management directed all students to immediately vacate the two campuses, adding that the school security guards have been directed to enforce strict compliance.

She said, “As you may recall, there was an alleged murder of Joseph Agabaidu, a 500-level student Applied Geology recently at Yelwa Kagadama which made some miscreants embark on protest around Yelwa Campus and consequently disrupting the peace.

“In view of the above, the Vice Chancellor, on behalf of the Senate, has approved the closure of the university for an initial period of one week with effect from Monday, December 4 to Sunday, December 10, 2023.

“Therefore, I am directed to request all undergraduate students on both campuses to vacate the university premises with immediate effect as failure to comply may lead to appropriate sanction by the constituted authority.

“By a copy of this notice, the Dean, Students Affairs Division and Chief Security Officer are requested to ensure strict compliance of the directive.”