at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi
(NSUK). Authoritative sources confirmed that
soldiers had stormed the school gate to
disrupt the rampaging students who were
protesting the scarcity of water in and around
the institution.
The students, including fresh entrants, began the
protest at about 7:30am after over close to two
weeks of water crisis which hit Keffi because the
management could not treat and pump water from
Mada Water Works along Keff-Akwanga Road.
They chanted "No Water, No Road" during the
protest.
An accounting student said the students had blocked
the main road in front of the school gate. This he said
disrupted traffic for several hours. The road is a
major link road connecting Benue and Lafia to Abuja.
One source narrated that the soldiers fired live
bullets in a bid to disperse the students to allow free
flow of traffic. He said three students may have died
as they were hit in critical parts of their bodies.
According to more recent reports, no fewer than five
students were shot by a combined team of soldiers
and policemen who moved in to open the barricade
by students of NSUK.
Soldiers and policemen were said to have opened fire
at point blank, killing two students on the spot, and
injuring three others at the High Court area of Keffi,
where the security personnel tried to break up the
protesters at about 11am.
Joseph Danjuma, spokesman to the deputy governor,
said they were about to "issue a press statement" on
the matter.
Meanwhile, the management of the university has
announced the decision to close down the school,
according to Jamil Zakari, spokesman of the
university.
Zakari also said he heard of the shooting down of
students, but added that "I cannot officially confirm
that now".
State police spokesman, DSP Michael Ada refused to
confirm the shooting and killing of students by either
the soldiers or policemen. But he confirmed that the
security personnel were there on ground. Ada said
the state commissioner of police, Abayomi
Akeremale had left Lafia to Keffi, earlier in the
morning when the protesters stormed into the major
road.
"But I can't say anything official now because I am
yet to hear from them there," the PPRO said.
Eyewitnesses say the ambulance could not make its
way to the school clinic where the team of medical
officers were rushing the three badly bleeding
students, and had to take another route to the
Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in town.
"The university gate was sealed up by our students.
So the ambulance could not make its way to the
school clinic. The ambulance tried to go to FMC, but
the road was blocked. They had to find other routes
to FMC, somehow," one student said.
Presently, about a dozen students have been rushed
to the hospital and some are in critical condition.
As at the time of this report, the students have razed
down a police station opposite the Angwan Lambu
community.
As the protest turned sour, the University has been
closed indefinitely.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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