The Bauchi State Police Command has disclosed that Joseph Agabaidu, a 500-level Geology student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), who was fatally stabbed and later died, was attempting to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from assailants when the incident occurred.
The police statement contradicts earlier reports suggesting that Agabaidu was stabbed while trying to steal his mobile phone.
According to the police, the assailants, whose identities remain unknown, snatched the handbag containing the mobile phone of a lady named Philomena Ahobee, a student of Abubakar Tatari Polytechnic in Bauchi.
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Agabaidu, who was with Ahobee, tried to assist her in retrieving the handbag, leading to him being stabbed on the left side of his chest.
Despite being rushed to the ATBU Teaching Hospital for treatment, Agabaidu succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead while on admission.
The incident triggered a protest by students at the Yelwa Campus, expressing dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of security in and around the campus.
In response to the protest, the university management, as reported by The PUNCH, decided to shut down the school and directed students to vacate the campus immediately.
The police statement clarified the circumstances of the incident, stating that the assailants targeted the handbag rather than attempting to steal Agabaidu’s phone.
The Bauchi State Police Command, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, outlined the sequence of events and expressed the commitment to apprehending the culprits.
The police acknowledged the visit of student leaders from the National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBAS) and the Student Union Government (SUG) to discuss the incident and the subsequent protest.
During the meeting, the student leaders condemned the violent protest and commended the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Mohammed, for his swift response.
They presented a letter requesting enhanced security in their communities, which the CP accepted.
He assured them of deploying intelligence and operational assets to the affected areas and ordered additional personnel and patrol vans for constant visibility patrols.
The police commissioner emphasized the need for professionalism in conflict resolution, discouraging the use of excessive force.
He urged students not to take the law into their own hands and assured them that efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators, promising justice for the deceased student, Joseph Agabaidu.
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