House Probes Killing of Four Nasarawa Varsity Students

The House of Representatives Tuesday , mandated the House Committees on Army, Security and Police Affairs to undertake a thorough investigation into the killing of four students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

  Equally, Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL) has called for the immediate suspension of the Vice- Chancellor of Nassarawa State University from office for allegedly inviting soldiers to stop peaceful demonstration by students which resulted in the death of some of the students.

The students were reportedly shot dead during a mass action embarked upon by the students in protest over poor infrastructure in the institution.

However, the resolve to investigate the death of the students, followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP/Rivers), under matters of urgent public importance. A minute of silence was observed in honour of the dead students.

The lawmaker, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, expressed concern at the killing of the students.

Chinda expressed concern about the deployment of security operatives armed with live ammunitions to University campuses in the guise of quelling students’ protests.
He described the situation as not only wrong and unacceptable but one too many in the series of extrajudicial killings by men of security forces in the country.

“The incident has led to very serious tension within the university community and its environ as so many people are reported to have deserted their homes for fear of further attacks by men of the Nigerian Army and/or reprisal by the students.

“It is worrisome that the situation is already generating ill feelings and bad blood between the university students and men of the Nigerian Army and if not immediately checked, could lead to further escalation of violence in the area and the area could be completely cut off from other parts of Nasarawa State.

“We are  further worried that the social and economic life and well-being of the people living in and around the affected area and those of other Nigerians could also be adversely affected as people would vacate the area in search of safety and  conducive business environment,” Chinda said.

The House condemned the deployment of soldiers to quell peaceful protest by students and urged the Inspector-General of Police (IG) and other relevant security agencies to immediately take steps to forestall any further breakdown of law and order within the affected areas.

Meanwhile, a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday by PIIL’s President, Mr. Abdul Mahmud, said the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor would pave way for an independent inquiry into the affairs of that university and prosecution of the Vice-Chancellor for being vicariously liable for the deaths of the three students.

The lawyers also said the Nigerian Army High Command must as a matter of utmost urgency make public the name or names of officer or officers who are/were responsible for the deployment of armed soldiers to the university; and the officer or officers who shot the defenceless students to death should be handed over to the police for murder.

The group noted that authorities of Nigerian universities had not learnt any lessons from the sad killings of Nigerian students in University of Ibadan (1971), Ahmadu Bello University (1986), Yaba Tech (1991) and Tai Solarin University (2009).

“Secondly, that our military, Para-military and policing agencies do not appreciate the fact that it is no longer a policing best practice to use live rounds on protesters,” the statement added.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the names of two of the deceased undergraduate students as Aminu Usman Osuko, a final year undergraduate student of Geography; and Emmanuel Nyam Buba, a year three undergraduate student of Physics.






-- Thisdaylive