Governor of Nassarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has mourned the death of three students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
The three students died on Friday while scrambling to collect food items that were donated to them as palliatives by the state government during distribution.
Ibrahim Addra, the media aide to the governor, in a statement, said his principal received the news of the incident with shock.
“The Nasarawa state Governor Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule has received with shock the news of a stampede at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi on the morning of Friday 22/03/2024.
“The sad incident is reported to have occurred when suspected hoodlums and some misguided students forced their way into the school’s convocation ground to cart away the rice kept at the venue meant for distribution as palliatives to students.
“This misfortune happened only hours before the scheduled official flag-off the same morning.
“Engr. Sule had come up with the widely applauded initiative to distribute rice and N5000 cash each to students in all tertiary institutions in the state.”
The statement said such distribution was a huge success and peacefully carried out at Federal University, Lafia; Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia; College of Agriculture, Science, and Technology, Lafia; the School of Nursing, Lafia; as well as the College of Education, Akwanga.
“Others are the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, and the College of Health Technology, Keffi.
“Governor Sule deeply regrets the tragic death of students of the institution in this needless stampede motivated by crime.
“The Governor has since directed the authorities of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and security agencies to commence an immediate investigation into the unfortunate occurrence to unveil those behind it.”
On his part, the head of medical services at the Federal Medical Center, Keffi, Dr Usman Ahmed, said 17 students, mostly females, were injured in the incident and are receiving medical attention at the facility.
