The Gombe Police Command says 14 suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of Abdussamad Musa, a student of Federal University Kashere.
The late Musa was a 200-level student of Criminology and Security Studies of the Gombe State varsity.
ASP Buhari Abdullahi, the command spokesman who confirmed the arrest to journalists on Friday, said four others in connection with the incident were at large.
Mr Abdullahi said the incident, which resulted from a heated football argument, happened off-campus on Tuesday night, and the knife used in the murder of Mr Musa was recovered as an exhibit.
He said the investigation had since begun, and upon conclusion, the matter would be charged to court for prosecution.
According to him, efforts are on to arrest the other four suspects who are currently on the run.
He said the command had taken adequate measures to forestall further occurrences and protect property in line with the directive of the state’s commissioner of police, Hayatu Usman.
The spokesperson advised youths and residents of the state to be mindful of their discussion in public. He said any discussion in a tense atmosphere should be avoided.
“Football is meant to entertain and not to take the lives of anyone, so we should avoid arguments that may create chaos and cause conflicts, especially amongst youths,” he said.
Janet Ibrahim, the public relations officer of FUK, told journalists that the incident occurred on Tuesday around 7:00 p.m.
Ms Ibrahim said the incident resulted from a minor disagreement between two groups after a football match off campus.
She said initially, the disagreement was resolved amicably, but the other group later attacked the compound where the deceased lived, and they engaged in a fight.
“This resulted in the stabbing of the deceased on his neck with a knife, and he was rushed to the general hospital, Kashere, where he later died due to excessive bleeding, as confirmed by a medical doctor,” he said.
She said the parents were invited, and they came on Wednesday and took part in the funeral service for the deceased around 2:00 p.m.
According to her, normalcy had since returned to the affected community.
Ms Ibrahim said that the institution does not have control over what happens off campus but was collaborating with security agencies and community leaders to protect students staying off campus.
