By Augustine Kuza Lafia
The Nasarawa state Governor Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule has received with shock, the news of a stampede at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, in the early hours of Friday march 22, 2024, as two female students died, dozens injured.
The sad incident is reported to have occurred when suspected hoodlums and misguided students forced their way into the school’s convocation ground to cart away the rice kept at the venue meant for distribution as palliatives to students.
According to a statement that was issued to journalists by Ibrahim Addra on Friday, it showed that the incident occurred hours before the scheduled official flag off the same morning.
Engr. Sule had come up with the widely applauded initiative to distribute rice and N5000 cash each to students in all tertiary institutions in the state.
Such distribution was a huge success and peacefully carried out at Federal University, Lafia, Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, the School of Nursing, Lafia as well as the College of Education, Akwanga. Others are the Federal Polytechnic, Nassarawa and the College of Health Technology, Keffi.
Gov. Sule deeply regrets the tragic death of two students of the institution in this needless stampede motivated by crime and hunger, the Governor said “I pray their souls rest in peace. Our thoughts and condolences go to their families and friends at this moment of grief.
“These young people’s lives cut short at their prime under such circumstances is painful,” he said.
The Governor has since directed the authorities of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi and security agencies to commence immediate investigation into the unfortunate occurrence with a view to unveiling those behind it.
The incident which moved the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, who visited the University on a fact finding mission, proceeded to the hospital to see those who sustained injuries.
