Tragedy struck in Bauchi State on Wednesday night when a second-year student of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), identified as Yusuf Musa, was stabbed to death.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the undergraduate, a student of Mechanical Production Engineering, was killed during a fight, which was reportedly triggered by a misunderstanding between him and a fellow student three weeks earlier along a road.
The deceased, who was supposed to take his final examination of first semester, was said to have been embroiled in a war of words with a 500-level student of the school’s Geology Department, whose name was given as Dauda.
A source close to the victim, speaking on condition of anonymity, told SUNDAY PUNCH, “About three weeks ago, Yusuf and his friend were passing a road close to his house.
“They met Dauda with a lady, but he (Dauda) did not allow them pass. Yusuf’s friend then started exchanging words with him (Dauda), but immediately, Yusuf started pleading with him (Dauda) to allow them to pass through.
“Dauda then directed his insults at Yusuf. This angered him (Yusuf), so he also insulted Dauda; that was the genesis of the resentment that led to the killing of Yusuf.”
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the accused, on Monday, led a group of five other assailants to Yusuf’s house to assault him. They were said to have returned on Wednesday but neighbours reportedly intervened.
The source said, “Later that night, Yusuf told his friend about Dauda’s constant harassment. The friend and some other friends decided to go and meet Dauda at his home, probably to settle scores.
“It was after that that we heard Yusuf was hit with a big stick and then stabbed with a knife. All members of the two camps ran away, leaving him in a pool of his blood.”
A Good Samaritan was said to have taken Musa to the hospital but he reportedly gave up the ghost on the way.
“Yusuf was a very kind gentleman. People that met him easily liked him because he was very friendly,” he said.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Zailani Bappah, said, “I am aware of the incident and they are our students. But I must tell you that this did not happen on either the Yelwa Campus or the Gubi Campus. It didn’t happen on the school property.
“This is not our case but that of the police. I can only refer you to the police. The management is not officially aware of it; we are only onlookers. We are also waiting for them (police) to give us details of their investigations. We cannot say anything for now,” the university’s spokesman said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Bauchi, Mahmood Mohammed, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the case had been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department.
“An exhibit was recovered from the scene of the incident; the stick which was used to hit the deceased. We are working hard to recover the other exhibit that was used to stab him,” Mohammed said.
The PPRO said the police had intensified efforts to arrest all fleeing suspects and bring them to book.
“So far, a suspect has been arrested and is helping us with our investigation,” he said.
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