The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, has rescheduled the students’ resumption to January 7, 2024.
Earlier reports by PUNCH indicated that Joseph Agabaidu, a final year Geology student, was allegedly stabbed by unknown assailants while attempting to retrieve his girlfriend’s bag, which they had snatched.
The Bauchi State Police Command clarified in a statement that Agabaidu was attacked when trying to recover the bag, sustaining a fatal stab wound on his chest. Despite being rushed to ATBU Teaching Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
The incident prompted a student protest on the Yelwa campus, denouncing inadequate campus security. Consequently, the university management initially closed the institution for a week, instructing students to vacate the campus due to the disruptions caused by the protest.
However, in a subsequent statement released by the ATBU Director of Information and Public Relations, Zailani Bappa, the management rescheduled the students’ return to January 7, 2024.
He said, “The Senate of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, has extended the date for resumption of undergraduate students of the university to January 7, 2024.
“In an emergency meeting held at the Senate Chamber in Gubi Campus, the Senate resolved that the one-week closure of the university be extended to January 7, 2024.
“The university management earlier announced the closure of the university to all undergraduate students for an initial period of one week, from December 4-10, 2023, to avert possible breakdown of law and order on the two campuses of Yelwa and Gubi.
“This followed an upheaval by some aggrieved students after the demise of one of their colleagues who was reportedly attacked by unknown assailants in Yelwan Ngas, a suburb of Bauchi town which led to his untimely death.”
