In a recent development, the Bauchi State Police Command has disclosed details surrounding the unfortunate demise of a 500-level Geology student at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University. The student, identified as Joseph Agabaidu, was reportedly stabbed while attempting to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from assailants.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday around 7:00 pm in the Yelwa area, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis, led to Agabaidu being attacked as he returned to his lodge near the Yelwan Tudu market. Despite being swiftly rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital for medical treatment, the final year Geology student succumbed to injuries sustained from the stabbing.
Initial reports from The PUNCH online had suggested that Agabaidu was stabbed by assailants during an alleged phone theft attempt. However, the Bauchi State Police Command’s revelation sheds new light on the situation, indicating that the young student was, in fact, trying to assist his girlfriend, Philomena Ahobee, in reclaiming her handbag, which had been snatched by unknown individuals.
In response to the tragic incident, students of the university organized a protest at the Yelwa Campus, expressing their dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of security in and around the campus.
The Commissioner of Police for Bauchi State, CP Auwal Mohammed, met with the leadership of two student bodies—NUBAS and SUG—following the incident. During the meeting, the police disclosed the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, highlighting that Agabaidu’s intervention in retrieving the handbag led to the fatal attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) provided additional details, stating, “The assailant(s) stabbed him on the left side of his chest with a sharp knife. The victim was rushed to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi for treatment but he was certified dead while on admission by a medical doctor.”
Despite the tragic nature of the incident, the student leaders, in their meeting with CP Auwal Mohammed, denounced any violent protests by their peers and commended the Commissioner for his prompt response. They presented a letter requesting increased security measures in their communities, a plea that the Commissioner assured would be met with the deployment of intelligence and operational assets, as well as additional personnel and patrol vans for enhanced visibility patrol in the affected areas.
