A 100-level student of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, identified as Israel Emmanuel, has died after he fell off a vehicle during a protest by the students over the incessant attacks on the institution by bandits suspected to be herdsmen.
The students embarked on protest on Wednesday after four female students were reportedly abducted and raped by the bandits before they were dumped in a bush on Saturday.
Emmanuel, who was the Mathematics Department class representative at the university, fell off a vehicle and later died from the injuries he sustained in the incident.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Yohana Izam, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Wednesday, described the student’s death as an unfortunate incident that has thrown the university into mourning.
He said: “To us as an institution, Emmanuel’s death is shocking and a great loss to us considering the cause of his death.
We have been cautioning the students against demonstration and protests, which are not jamborees, yet they keep doing it.
“Our pain and regret is that the protest has robbed us of a precious soul and forced us into mourning.”
Speaking on the incident, the institution’s Student Union Government (SUG) President, Luepai Ezekiel, expressed sadness over the death of Emmanuel whom he described as strong member of the SUG.
“Emmanuel fell off from one of the vehicles during our protest against the insecurity in the institution and landed with his head on the tarred road.
We rushed him to the Bokkos Cottage Hospital but unfortunately, he couldn’t make it as he later died,” the SUG president said.
