Tension gripped Lapai town in Niger State on Monday as students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUL) erupted in a massive protest following the gruesome murder of a fellow student, Abdulwahab Jafar. The demonstration, which brought academic activities to a halt, saw students barricading the busy Agaie–Lapai Road, demanding justice and better security for students living off-campus.
The late Abdulwahab Jafar, a promising 200-level student in the Department of Science Education (Chemistry), was reportedly attacked by suspected armed robbers at his off-campus residence, Nda Kitabu Lodge, situated directly opposite the university’s second gate. According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants broke into the lodge at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday, June 23, and fatally stabbed Jafar in the neck. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries at the General Hospital in Lapai.
The shocking incident, which occurred shortly after Jafar had returned to campus from a break, sparked widespread outrage and grief among the student body. In a show of solidarity and deep frustration, hundreds of students poured into the streets, blocking major access roads and chanting demands for justice and an immediate end to the rising wave of insecurity around the university environment.
In the heat of the escalating unrest, the university management announced an indefinite shutdown of the institution. Students were ordered to vacate their hostels immediately and await further directives, as the situation became increasingly volatile.
Tragically, the protest also witnessed scenes of aggression, as the founder of Lapai TV, a local online broadcaster covering the event, was reportedly assaulted by some enraged demonstrators near the university’s main gate. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
Confirming the chilling incident, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the state command received a distress report around 3:00 a.m. about the armed robbery at Ndakitabu area in Lapai.
“Unfortunately, one Jafar was stabbed in the neck and was rushed to the General Hospital, Lapai, where he was later confirmed dead,” Abiodun stated. “In reaction to the incident, aggrieved students barricaded Agaie–Lapai Road in protest. Tactical teams have since been deployed to restore calm, and the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for this heinous crime.”
The murder of Jafar has once again exposed the glaring security lapses faced by students residing off-campus. Many are now calling on both the university administration and state authorities to take urgent and concrete steps to secure lives and properties around the institution.
As Lapai mourns the tragic loss of one of its brightest, the student community—and indeed the public—await swift action and accountability to ensure that Abdulwahab Jafar’s death is not in vain.
PIONEER NEWS 