By Fidel Ozugha
The Palace of the Emir of Lapai in Niger State, Nigeria, Umar BagoTafida 111, has been blocked this morning by protesting students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai in Niger State.
The students were protesting the killing of their colleague, a-300 level Abdulwahab Abubakar by gunmen suspected to be armed robbers.
The killing which occurred on Monday sparked outrage among the students thereby pushing them to block the Palace of Tafida 111 and the ever busy Lapai-Agaie and Lapai-Minna roads in protest. The university’s security office was also vandalised by the angry students.
Describing as lack of measures by the university management and other authorities to protect them, the protesting students claimed that attacks on students had been happening repeatedly for the past six months. One of the students, Mohammed Hassan, It was gathered that a similar attack happened last week during which some female students were raped as robbers armed with pistols and other weapons moved from one lodge to another, robbing the students of their belongings.
According to information gathered, this latest killing happened around 2am on Monday at a students’ lodge in Ndakitabu area of Lapai which is opposite of the university’s main gate on Lapai-Minna road.
The deceased – a 300 level – student, was said to have resumed for academic activities on Sunday evening.
Reacting to incident, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the killing.
“Today being 23rd June, 2025 at about 3am, information was received that at about 2.30am, some hoodlums attacked a student lodge at Ndakitabu area via Lapai. Police operatives of Lapai Division rushed to the scene, but the suspected robbers had escaped.
“Unfortunately, one Jafar was stabbed on the neck and he was rushed to General Hospital, Lapai where he was later confirmed dead.
“As a result of this, some students barricaded Agaie-Lapai road, protesting against this incident.
“However, tactical teams of the Command have been dispatched to Lapai to ensure that normalcy is restored, while investigation into the unfortunate incident has commenced as the Commissioner of Police directed that the perpetrators of this heinous crime must be arrested and brought to book”, Abiodun said.
