The main campus of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Gidan-Kwano, has descended into chaos as students protest the tragic death of one of their fellow students, who was fatally struck by a truck on Sunday.
According to reports, the incident occurred when a sand-filled truck collided with the student, who was being conveyed across the road by a motorcycle (okada) rider. Regrettably, the student lost his life on the spot, and the motorcycle rider also passed away while en route to the hospital for medical attention.
Adding to the sorrow, it was revealed that the deceased had recently lost his mother and had just completed his first-semester examinations before this unfortunate incident transpired.
Surprisingly, the university’s management has not issued any response or statement regarding the incident since it occurred, which has incensed the students.
In response to the perceived apathy of the university’s management, students initiated a violent protest, demanding that the university take action to hold the truck’s driver or owner accountable.
They argue that had the FUT Minna management, or the state government considered the safety of students crossing the road daily, they would have installed speed controls and other road safety measures along the busy highway.
Speaking on the incident, an eyewitness, Musa Kabiru, attributed the accident to the truck driver’s recklessness, mentioning that the driver lost control and collided with the okada from behind.
Kabiru urged Governor Umar Bago’s government to intervene by implementing speed control measures along the Gidan-Kwano campus to prevent further loss of lives and potentially resolve conflicts between students and drivers on the route.
However, attempts to contact the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs. Lydia Legbo, and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Niger State Command, DSP Wasiu A. Abiodun, were unsuccessful at the time of this report.