A wave of outrage has engulfed the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, following the gruesome murder of a 300-level student, Jafar, who was stabbed to death by suspected hoodlums in the early hours of Monday.
The brutal killing, which occurred around 2:30 a.m. in a private hostel near the university’s main gate, sparked a spontaneous protest as hundreds of students shut down the busy Lapai-Lambata highway, demanding justice and urgent action to end the spate of violence plaguing the student community.
Jafar, said to be the only son of his parents, was attacked in his sleep when the assailants broke into the off-campus lodge—an area long known for its security vulnerabilities.
He was stabbed in the neck and rushed to the General Hospital in Lapai, where he was later confirmed dead.
“We Are Not Safe” – Students Cry Out
Enraged and heartbroken, students suspended all academic activities and took to the streets, calling the attack one too many. Chanting slogans and carrying placards, they decried what they described as years of neglect by the university authorities, who they say have ignored repeated cries for better security in off-campus accommodations.
“We are not safe. These attacks happen too often, and nobody listens until someone dies,” a protester told journalists.
“Jafar’s death must not go in vain. The school must act now.”
An estimated 80% of IBBU students reside in off-campus hostels due to limited accommodation within the university.
Students say these lodges are frequently targeted by criminals, especially during late hours and semester resumption periods.
“They come in the night, rob us of phones, laptops, and money—sometimes they beat or injure students,” said a resident of the affected lodge.
“There’s no security, no patrols. We’re completely exposed.”
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.
In a statement issued in Minna, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, said police received a distress call at around 3:00 a.m. and responded immediately—but the attackers had already fled.
“One Jafar was found with a deep stab wound to the neck. He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead,” the police said.
The police also confirmed that protesting students barricaded the Agaie-Lapai highway, disrupting vehicular movement for several hours. In response, tactical units have been deployed to Lapai to restore calm and ensure the safety of lives and property.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be apprehended and brought to justice,” SP Abiodun declared.
The university’s management is facing mounting pressure over what students describe as consistent failure to secure off-campus hostels.
Many students accuse the administration of “looking the other way” despite repeated warnings and reports of armed robbery and harassment near student lodges.
“We’ve raised these issues again and again. It shouldn’t take a death for action to be taken,” a student leader said.
As the investigation unfolds, students are calling for immediate intervention by both the university and Niger State government, including the deployment of security personnel around private hostels and the creation of emergency patrol teams.
“How many more students must die before something is done?” one protester asked.
“Today it’s Jafar. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.”