Kano university shut over drowned student, protest

The authorities of Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State, has ordered the closure of the university for two weeks following students protest on Wednesday night over the death of their colleague.

The deceased, a 300-level student, Faruk Abubakar, was drowned in River Wudil on Wednesday evening. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Shehu Alhaji-Musa, disclosed this while briefing newsmen yesterday.

He said the University Senate had declared Thursday, May 3 and Friday, May 4 as lecture-free days to mourn the deceased student. He said the students were expected to go on mid-semester break from Monday, May 7 to Friday, May 18.

“The incident coincided with the mid-semester break, hence our decision to close the school to students and entire school community to observe two days mourning after which the students will proceed on the break,” he said.

According to him, the students had been directed to vacate the campus before closing hours of yesterday. He said three students went to the river on Wednesday to swim but were warned by the security not to go into the river.

It took the quick intervention of some local fishermen, who rescued two of the students while body of the third person is yet to be found. The incident led to students going on rampage, demanding the immediate rescue of their colleague, dead or alive.

The angry students vandalised the property in the university clinic and Central Research Laboratory. No fewer than eight vehicles, including oxygen-compacted ambulance, and staff cars, were destroyed.

Eyewitness told The Guardian that the students went violent when the local divers withdrew from the rescue mission after a two-hour search, which saw them recovering two persons.

“The local divers withdrew after two hours search into the river in the night. They said it was late for them to swim deep into the big river and because of their own safety, they had to call off the search, but the only infuriated the students, who decided to go violent.”

Confirming the development, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shehu Alhaji-Musa, told journalists yesterday that the body of Faruq is still missing.

In a related development, the drowning of a student of Public Administration identified simply as Ade had caused crisis at the Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa State, last month.

Ade was said to have drowned in a river bordering the university when he tried to fetch water for domestic use following lack of water on campus.

It was gathered that lack of potable water on campus forced students to rely on the river and other unconventional means for water.

A source disclosed that Ade fell into the river and drowned because he lacked swimming skills. Angered by the incident, the students took over the campus in protest.