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Tag: Kogi varsity

  • Kogi Varsity lecturer dies during sex romp with 200 level student

    Kogi Varsity lecturer dies during sex romp with 200 level student

    A senior lecturer at Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Kogi, Dr Olabode Abimbola Ibikunle, has passed on while allegedly having sexual affair with a female student.

    The incident occurred on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at a hotel in Anyigba and was later reported to the police by the hotel manager.

    The spokesperson of Kogi State Police Command, SP William Aya, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja yesterday.

    Aya described the incident as unfortunate, saying an autopsy had been conducted to determine the cause of death.

    According to him, the hotel manager, Moses Friday, reported that a 22-year-old 200-level student of PAAU, Gloria Samuel, rushed to the reception to alert the staff that the lecturer had collapsed after their encounter.

    The police were immediately informed, and the lecturer was taken to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a doctor.

    The police said investigations were ongoing and further action would be taken based on the findings.

    Read Also: Kogi Senator honoured for service, statesmanship

    A student who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity about the incident said the lecturer was involved in sexual intercourse with the 22-year-old 200-level student of the institution before his sudden demise.

    He said the lady was arrested and taken to police custody and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

    Ibikunle, who was reportedly married with children, was said to have checked into the hotel earlier that day with the student of the Department of Social Studies Education.

    There are unconfirmed reports that the lecturer had consumed multiple energy drinks prior to the incident.

  • Remaining eight kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued – Govt

    Remaining eight kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued – Govt

    The Kogi Government has announced the rescue of the remaining eight kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.

    The Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja.

    Fanwo said that Gov. Ahmed Ododo, has directed full support towards the recovery of the students and their parents, while modalities were being put in place to make Kogi safer for all.

    “The government expresses profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for directing the mobilisation of resources to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students.

    “We also thank the National Security Adviser for his immense commitment to the release of the students and the general security of the State.

    “The governor thanked all the Security Chiefs, the Director General of DSS, the Inspector General of Police, all officers and men of the Armed Forces including the Pilots, who put in their best to support us in reuniting the kidnapped students with their families.

    “The Kogi State Command of all the security agencies, Police, DSS, NSCDC and our local hunters are also highly appreciated for their efforts towards this feat,” Fanwo said.

    Read Also: Eight kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued

    “The governor also expressed immense gratitude to his Kwara State counterpart, Gov. AbdulRahmam AbdulRazak, for his personal commitment, cooperation and support towards the success of the operation that led to the rescue of the remaining kidnapped students.

    “The Kwara governor showed the reason he is effectively leading the Nigerian Governors Forum. His actions have also reinforced the Kogi/Kwara cooperation and unity of purpose,” Fanwo said.

    He reaffirmed the commitment of Ododo’s administration to continue the drive to re calibrate the security architecture and pay an uncompromising attention to the Safe School Initiative.

    He added: “As the State with the lowest out of school children in the North, we have put structures in place to keep our schools safe to ensure every child is not deprived of his or her right to education.

    “Kogi has domesticated the Child Rights Act and we will defend the right of our children to quality education.

    “In Kogi, education is free up to the Secondary School level.

    “We also pay the registration fees for our students to write all internal and external examinations with a budgetary allocation that is way above the UNESCO benchmark for education.

    “We do all of these to educate our children and make them responsible contributors to the economy of Nigeria”.

    The commissioner urged citizens to always volunteer intelligence to security agencies to enable them to prevent crime. This is safer, cheaper and better for us all.

    “All of us must come together to defeat banditry, kidnapping and any form of criminality in our society,” Fanwo said.

    (NAN)

  • JUST IN: Six more abducted Kogi varsity students rescued

    JUST IN: Six more abducted Kogi varsity students rescued

    The Kogi state government has announced the rescue of six more students, bringing the number of kidnapped students so far rescued to twenty.

    This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, May 14, by the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo.

    The commissioner said: “Our data shows that there are four students yet to be found.

    “The fierce gun battle between security agents and the kidnappers forced the kidnappers to succumb to superior firepower and abandon the kidnapped students. Some of the kidnappers escaped with severe injuries.”

    He said Governor Ahmed Ododo expressed deep appreciation to the Joint Forces that carried out the operations, urging them to continue the search until the last student is found.

    Read Also: 14 abducted Kogi varsity students rescued

    “We wish to assure the public that the security architecture around our schools has been recalibrated for efficiency and early warning alarm to prevent future occurrence,” he added.

    The Nation had reported that bandits on Thursday, May 9, invaded the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC), Osara, Okene in Kogi, and abducted some student

    However, Governor Ododo assured the parents and the entire residents of Kogi state that the abducted students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC), Osara, Okenese, would be rescued.

    The police later confirmed that 14 students had been rescued.

  • Kogi varsity gets N500m for courses’ accreditation

    kogi State House of Assembly has approved N500 million for the Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba for the accreditation of some courses.

    The Speaker, Rt. Hon Matthew Kolawole, made this known during the signing of the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law, at the Government House in Lokoja.

    He said the money was approved in line with the resolution of the assembly members to support the executive’s education programmes. He said the lawmakers would be willing to assist in improving education in the state.

    Of the N151,677,854,494 appropriated, personnel costs got N27,237,599,449, overhead costs, N36,741,761,784 and capital expenditure, N87,698,493,261. For the second year, the state is dedicating more than half of its budget to finance infrastructure as capital expenditure stands at 57.82 per cent of the total budget.

    The budget reflected a reduction of over N23 billion from the 2017 budget.

    Governor Yahya Bello commended the legislators for cutting short their break to ensure the timely consideration and passage of the Appropriation Bill.

    He assured that there would be full implementation of the budget, stressing that he would not be distracted in his determination to make life better for the people.

    “I shall not play politics with the fortune and destiny of the state,” he said, stressing that he would do everything within his power to actualise his promises to the people.

    This budget, tagged Sustainable Growth, is specifically designed to address the infrastructure challenges in the state.

     

     

     

     

  • Kogi varsity alumni tackle cultism

    Kogi varsity alumni tackle cultism

    In a bid to tackle the menace of cultism, kidnapping and other social vices blighting the Kogi State University (KSU) Anyigba, the alumni association of the school has embarked on the construction of a multi-million naira Guidance and  Counseling/Information and Communication Technology center that will endear positive change for the students.

    Last week Friday, no less than 13 persons were killed in nearby Idah, as cult groups clashed in the area.

    According to the national president of the univarsity’s alumni, Mr. Obaje Marthias Kelvin, the project when completed will avail the students new opportunities, and complemented by a counseling office which will serve as a  moulding pad for the reformation of the students.

    The president disclosed this during the reunion and fund raising dinner held Monday in lokoja, the state capital.

    He stated that the alumni has worked relentlessly with the student union body to stem the tide of social pervasiveness among the students, adding that they employed a desk officer to attend to the needs of students.

    He said in its effort at bringing about positive change among the students’ population, the alumni under his watch renovated the university main gate, presented certificates of merit to nineteen best graduating students and designed a website to boost performance.

     

  • ASUU begins ‘no pay no work’ at Kogi Varsity

    ASUU begins ‘no pay no work’ at Kogi Varsity

    Members of the Kogi State University (KSU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have withdrawn their services till the government pays their salary and allowances. Their action led to the suspension of the semester examination, which would have started last Monday. MOHAMMED YABAGI (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

    The crisis at the Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba over unpaid salaries and allowances has taken a new turn. Lecturers have withdrawn their services until they are paid. The action led to the suspension of the semester examination, which would have started last Monday.

    The institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) initially issued the government and management a 21-day ultimatum during its March 23 congress to pay its members. The ultimatum expired last weekend without the government addressing the lecturers’ grievances.

    Responding to the development, ASUU declared “no pay, no work”. The lecturers vowed not to go for classes until their salaries and allowances are paid.

    The action has led to the suspension of activities on campus. Students, who turned up for examination last Monday, returned to their hostels in disappointment. There is no word yet from management on the examination.

    The ASUU chairman, Dr Daniel Aina, said  the action became necessary because of what  he called the “shabby treatment” of lecturers by the school. He said the National Executive Council of the union is backing the action, which, according to him, should not be seen as a strike but a withdrawal of service.

    He said: “The ASUU is on ‘no pay, no work’ action. We are not on strike. We have withdrawn our services for the mean time. This means lecturers will be in their offices, but they will not go for lectures. We will not attend statutory meetings, such as Boards of Departments, Faculties, Senate, and the like.”

    As part of the action, he said ASUU members  would not conduct examinations nor supervise students and other matters related to students activities, until all arrears of salaries are “liquidated”.

    Aina said the lecturers’ action was not political, added that it is not also against the university’s leadership. He accused the government of taking the lecturers’ welfare for granted.

    The union urged the government to strengthen its revenue generation system to get funds to pay salaries.

    Aina said: “The ASUU supports the on-going anti-corruption drive of the government to fish out bad eggs in the system. It would also be good if the government strengthens its revenue generation method to make it easy to pay workers’ salaries.”

    He said ASUU would not condone corruption among lecturers, adding that once the arrears are paid, they would go back to work.

    Aina said the autonomy of universities remained sacrosanct, adding that KSU would not be an exception. He advised that the university should not be seen as an extension of civil service, stressing that the institution must be strengthened to expand the scope of knowledge and research.

    Reacting to the lecturers’ action, a top management official, who pleaded not to be named, described it as sabotage. He urged lecturers to return to work and give management time to resolve the matter, since Governor Yahaya Bello and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mohammad Abdulkadir, are  new in the saddle.

    The source said: “The governor, since assumption of office, has shown determination to make practical efforts that would improve the status of education in the state, especially at the tertiary level. It would be better if ASUU could allow the government to conclude the ongoing civil service verification.

    “The Vice-Chancellor has also shown concern on the matter. He recently directed that N160 million be paid as salaries from the university’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) between December 2015 and this month. This shows the management is making effort to resolve the matter.”

    He urged ASUU members to think about  students, who will bear the brunt of the action.

    Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor Mallam Abdulmalik Abdulkarim said the government was cleansing the state. He said before Bello assumed office, the institution was over-staffed, adding that “irrational” employment was embarked upon throughout the state between January last year and when the governor mounted the saddle. “The wage became bloated as allocation from the federation account could not match our wage bill,” he said, adding that as soon as the ongoing workers’ screening is concluded, salaries will be paid.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Students’ Union Government (SUG) president Philip Shuaibu and his National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS) counterpart Abdulmalik Hadi pleaded with the lecturers to return to work, saying they did not want the academic calendar to be truncated by the action.

    Shaibu said: “Students are not happy with the development in the school. We call on government to do the needful to ameliorate the situation. In the last two years, we cannot count the number of strikes embarked upon by workers’ unions in the school. This is why we are worried that the latest development may truncate the current academic calendar. The lecturers and the government should resolve the matter on time in the interest of students.”

    Hadi called for dialogue, saying: “We are saddened by the incessant strikes in the school. We want the matters connected to it resolved. Our future should not be held to ransom, because of the inability of government and lecturers to sit and dialogue.”

  • Kogi varsity sacks 340 workers

    Kogi varsity sacks 340 workers

    The Governing Council of the Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba has sacked the 340 workers employed by former Vice-Chancellor Prof Hassan Isah shortly before his exit. The workers are begging the council to temper justice with mercy. MOHAMMED YABAGI (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

    MIFFED by the last-minute recruitments by Prof Hassan Isah, immediate past Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba,  the Governing Council has reversed the appointments.

    By implication, more than 340 non-teaching members of the staff  have been sacked by management, leaving the affected workers distraught.

    The council, at its 44th regular meeting, condemned how the former VC carried out the last-minute exercise, describing it as an  abuse of administrative procedure.

    The council, led by Prof Isa Aliyu, directed that all appointments made in the twilight of Prof Isah’s tenure be reversed immediately. It also directed management to ensure implementation of the council’s decision.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the council, at its November sitting, expressed shock that the former VC unilaterally recruited a high number of workers without the council’s approval. Last month, the council made a recommendation, which rendered the recruitments useless.

    Besides non-conformity with procedure, the exercise CAMPUSLIFE gathered, would over-stretch the institution’s finances. This, it was leanrt, is why the council did not see the need for such “massive recruitment” when they were done.

    The council’s decision came at a time the university is facing challenges of paying staff salaries and inadequate funding.

    The council recommended that contract members of the staff whose services were still required should be renewed on expiration. It also advised the University Management Committee (UMC) to evolve policies to regulate the number of visiting lecturers.

    When Prof Muhammad Sani Abdulkadir, assumed office as VC last October, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that he was confronted with the reality of paying over 300 additional workers and meeting other financial needs of the university. The VC, it was gathered, complained that the school’s finances were over-stretched by the last-minute employment.

    The Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), last month, declared an industrial action over the goverment’s inability to pay workers, including the university staff, for several months. But, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declined to join the action.

    ASUU said joining the strike would not be fair to the confidence-building effort of the VC, who, the lecturers said, is making effort to stabilise the school’s finances and its workforce. ASUU also said the VC secured a bailout fund to cushion the effect non-payment of salaries.

    Abdulkadir, a source in ASUU told CAMPUSLIFE, was present at some of its meetings, and has been  running the institution on the basis of consultation and inclusiveness. This is why, the source added, ASUU is not disposed to the  NLC strike.

    The source said: “Before the VC assumed office, we had already discovered something was wrong with some recruitments carried out by the former VC. At a time the school could not pay its staff, Prof Isah went on recruitment spree in a process shrouded in secrecy and skewed in favour of a particular section of the state. We are happy that the Governing Council has reversed the exercise. We will continue to support efforts to regularise the university finances as being done by the management. This is why it would be insensitive to join NLC strike, because the school is in a mess already.”

    Some of the affected workers, who spoke with our reporter, appealed to management to temper justice with mercy. They urged the school not to cut short their joy after their “legitimate efforts” to get a job.

    Mrs Unekwu John, who was employed in the Bursary Department, said the news of her sack came as a “rude shock,” pleading with the council to revisit the recruitment. Admitting that some of them may have been employed through the back door, Mrs John said it was not all the sacked workers were illegally employed.

    Another sacked worker, Ibrahim Ademu, was philosophical about his predicament, saying: “It has been designed to happen like that.”

    Ademu said he wanted to focus on other opportunities, adding that any opportunity he lost was never meant for him in the first place.

    The institution’s chapter of Non-Academic Staff Union of University (NASU) said it spported  the council’s decision.

    A top member of the union, who asked not to be named, said the body was worried by the “shoddy way the recruitments” were carried out by the former VC.

    According to the NASU official, Prof Isah did not consult the leadership of NASU during the exercise. This, he said, was why the union supported the council’s decision.

     

  • Kogi varsity postpones union election

    Kogi varsity postpones union election

    Kogi State University (KSU) has suspended the Students’ Union Government (SUG) activities indefinitely to prevent a breakdown of law and order. MOHAMMED YABAGI (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.

    FOR aspirants the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Kogi State University (KSU) the suspension of the election was a big blow.

    Concerned by the frequent riots on campus, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Mohammed Sani Abdulkadir, suspended the election idefinitely, saying the institution could not afford to hold any activities that could lead to security breach.

    Prof Abdulkadir, who presented  management’s position to the Interim Students’ Representative Assembly (ISRA), during an interactive session, the atmosphere was not ripe for election.

    The VC, who assumed office  penultimate week, said the management was studying the situation, during that the election would  hold when the atmosphere’s conducive.

    He said: “In the meantime, an electoral committee would be constituted immediately to put the necessary arrangements in place for the conduct of the elections. The committee would be made up of staff and students.”

    Prof Abdulkadir said the tenure of the current ISRA executive council would not be extended.

    The VC condemned students, who demonstrated over a faulty transformer on campus, warning that such behaviour would not be tolerated

    He said: “We will not condone riot and unnecessary demonstration by students in whatever shape or form is illegal. You must know that character is  a very critical ingredient for earning the university’s certificates.”

    Prof Abdulkadir advised students to go through the matriculation handbook, which contains the institution’s code. He warned them not to dent the image of the school, stressing that the management would ensure that students did not have reason to demonstrate. Anyone, he said, who instigates students to riot would face the disciplinary committee.

    He urged students to make their grievances known through the right channel, adding that any student who failed to obey school regulations would face disciplinary action.

    He said: “We have promised that the welfare of students would be our top priority, but students must conduct their affairs with decency and decorum. We want to train responsible and mature students, who will show good character.”

    Others at the meeting included Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration, Dr S.D. Musa, his Academic counterpart, Dr Momoh Sanni, Registrar, Dr Y.I. Abubakar, and Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Benjamin Ogwo.

  • Kogi varsity plans first African golf course

    Kogi State University, Anyigba has set up a nine-man committee to design strategies for the construction and take-off of the first University Golf Course Project in Africa by the institution.

    The committee, chaired by the institution’s Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Hassan Isah, is expected to reach out to philanthropists, agencies and organisations for the implementation of the project.

    Its members include Alhaji Sadiq Ozigi, Mr. Samuel Okpanachi, Mr Onate Gabriel and Mr Ali Opaluwa.

    Others are Otunba Olufemi Aiyeku, Mr. Emmanuel Bako, Mr Emmanuel Oguche.

    At their inauguration, the committee members were charged with preparing for the launching of the golf course.

    In an interview in Abuja, the VC noted that the project had been in the offing for about five years, but that its implementation was stunted by inadequate funds.

    “We want to demystify the misconception that golf is for the rich. The idea for our golf course has been on ground for about five years; the soul has been willing but the financial muscle has been weak. We will resort to a hole golf course to have reduction of cost. We will make use of the natural resources around us.

    “We have chosen the cheapest variety of grass; we have put everything into consideration. We will use the medium machine to cut cost. There is a lot of customisation and domestication to beat down the cost,” he said.

    Isah described golf as a game that revolves around natural resources and one that preserves the eco-system.

    According to him,when eventually established, the game would be accessible to both the staff and students of the institution.

    The VC said the training would focus on fresh students.

  • New DVCs for Kogi varsity

    The management of Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba, has appointed new Deputy Vice Chancellors (DVCs), following the expiration of tenure of the outgoing DVCs. The new DVCs are Dr Salihu Musa (Administration) and Dr Momoh Sanni (Academic).

    Welcoming his deputies to their first University Management Committee (UMC) meeting, the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Hassan Isah, urged them to support and contribute their quota to the development of the institution.

    Prof Isah, who noted that he enjoyed support and cooperation of the former DVCs, said he had no cause to regret working with them. He observed that process of administration of university were not strange to the new DVCs, expressing confidence in the ability of his deputies to contribute positively to the growth of the school.

    He charged members of management team to maintain effective communication channel, stressing that communication was vital to the success of any organisation.

    Other members of the management team include Acting Registrar, Dr Y.I, Abubakar, Bursar, Alhaji S.U. Ozigi, Acting Librarian, Mr. Paul Idachaba, Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Benjamin Ogwo, Director of Physical Planning, Dr A.I. Opaluwa, Director of Works and Maintenance, Mr I.G. Onate, and Deputy Registrar, Vice Chancellor’s Office, Mallam U.E. Shuaibu, who is Secretary to the management committee.