Students raze Kebbi college provost’s residence over alleged extortion

Students at the College of Health Sciences and Technology in Jega, Kebbi state have set the residence of the institution’s provost on fire in a riot.

Nafiu Abubakar, the Kebbi state police PRO, confirmed the incident to TheCable on Thursday.

He said the riot, which has now been quelled, broke out at around noon.

Abubakar said a police investigation is still looking to determine what caused the unrest.

However, multiple reports claim protests had erupted on the campus over allegations that the college management extorted funds from students to the tune of N23 million.

The funds, the reports claim, were meant to cover registration fees for 250 graduating students.

It is understood that the residence of Haruna Saidu-Sauwa, the provost, was set ablaze and his vehicle was vandalised.

One report claims the controversy originated from a newly introduced public health programme.

The college, the report said, merged the programme with the college’s environmental health department to secure certification.

This reportedly led to a demand for an additional N65,000 from each student for index registration in addition to N30,000 already paid.

Accusing the management of extortion, the students responded violently by stoning vehicles and setting the provost’s residence on fire.

College staff, campus sources said, fled the scene in fear before security personnel arrived.

As of this report, the institution’s management has yet to address the public on the matter.