The Nation Newspaper

Tag: STUDENT

  • Student arraigned for ‘entering’ girls’ hostel

    A 21-year-old student, Francis Onitiri, was yesterday charged before a Somolu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, for allegedly breaking into a girls’ hostel at night with intent to steal.

    Onitiri, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of assault and conspiracy.

    He denied the charges.

    Prosecuting Inspector Nurudeen Thomas told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on June 22 at about 11.58 p.m. at Classic Girls’ Hostel, Morounfolu Street, Akoka, Lagos.

    He said Onitiri and his accomplices scaled the fence of the hostel with the intent of stealing, but the security guard on duty raised an alarm.

    “While others took to their heels, Onitiri was not lucky and was immediately apprehended by the guard.

    “The accused, who started struggling to free himself from the guard, brought out a knife and stabbed the guard in the face and chest.

    “The security guard immediately alerted the girls in the hostel who helped to overpower the accused and was later taken to the police station,’’ Thomas said.

    The offences, Thomas noted, contravened Sections 170 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Ruling on the bail application, Chief Magistrate B.O. Osunsanmi, granted him N50, 000 bail with a surety in the like sum.

    He adjourned the case to August12.

     

  • Missing Ogun Poly student found dead in shrine

    It was a horrific sight when the decomposing remains of 21 year old Morenikeji Owolabi were discovered in a shrine at the rustic Eposo village, Ishara, in Remo North Local Government Council of Ogun state.

    Morenikeji, a female student of Science Laboratory Technology department at the Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, hails from Ekiti state but was said to be missing some days ago.

    But on Tuesday, her dismembered and decomposing remains were found littered at a Shrine by policemen.

    The girl was allegedly lured to the shrine by a herbalist, Femi Awise, where she was found dead.

    Awise, a native of Isara and prime suspect, is said to be on the run but five persons suspected to be working for him, including a cyclist who conveyed the girl to the shrine and an apprentice of Awise, have been arrested.

    The suspects are Adeyemi Ademolu (the cyclist), Omolaso Taiwo (Awise’s apprentice), Lateef Ali, Akinyemi Dare, and Sokoya Wasiu.

    According to Ademolu, the victim spoke with Awise twice seeking information about the direction while being conveyed to the shrine.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu, led some reporters to the shrine tucked inside a forest.

    He said investigation had started to ascertain how the victim was killed.

    Although the decaying legs of the girl exhumed from a shallow grave few meters away from the shrine were discovered but The Nation gathered that investigation continues to trace where her head, breasts and private part were kept.

    The cubicle – size shrine made of corrugated iron sheets,  was strewn with scary fetish objects, bottles of palm oil  knives, plates and a pot filled with boiled human flesh and which had also began to emit foul odour.

    Ntomchukwu said, “What we want to tell the public is that they should monitor the movement of their wards and children, especially when they are left to be in school and other public institutions.

    “They should always keep watch over their children, call them regularly and where they don’t see them, they should quickly report to the police.

    “If we had received this report on time, we would have been able to trace this lady. By the time we got the report, we now started scouting for information, only to arrest the okada man (motorcyclist) that brought her to the Shrine.

    “It was from that okada man that we were able to know that she was taken to this area and by discreet investigation, we were able to discover this shrine.

    “We don’t know how long this shrine has been in existence but we assure you that this particular nefarious activity would be put to an end.”

    The Local Government chairman, Femi Soyemi, who was shocked and appalled by the horrible discovery said he never believe such savagery could exist in his domain.

    Soyemi said, “I was shocked because I never expected this kind of horrible and brutal thing exists here.”

    Also, a 40-year-old kidnapper, Emeka Obi, was arrested by the Police in connection with the kidnapping a 97-year-old nonagenarian, Mr. Iposiola Samaiye.

    Ntomchukwu told reporters that Obi and members of his gang, kidnapped Pa Samaiye from his home in Ijebu-Isire last Thursday, and demanded ransom for his release but the Police trailed them to the forest where the victim was held captive.

    According to him, Pa Samaiye is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ijebu Ode.

  • Student, two others die in road accident

    Student, two others die in road accident

    •Varsity declares two-week break

    A student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)  died in an accident on Nsukka Road on Tuesday. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Enugu confirmed that three persons were killed in the mishap.

    The late Miss Nkolika Anatogu Sylvia was 300-Level Veterinary Medicine student. She hailed from Onitsha in Anambra State. The late student was travelling home for a two-week holiday declared by the school.

    Other victims could not be identified as at the time of this report, but their bodies have been deposited at Our Saviour’s Hospital Mortuary by the FRSC personnel, who were assisted by the police.

    Reacting to the incident, the UNN Public Relations Officer, Chief Okwu Omeaku, described the student’s death as shocking, noting that the management shares in the grief of her parents.

    According to the FRSC officers, the accident was caused by a diesel-laden tanker with number plate AWK 311 XB, which was said to have lost control, following a brake failure. The tanker collided with two passenger buses with number plates UWN 406 XA and UWN 57 Xa and a motorcycle, before falling into a ditch.

    The school management, previous day, announced a compulsory two-week holiday, ordering students to vacate the campus, following the announcement.

    A senior member of the management said the holiday was part of the institution’s academic calendar. Academic activities would be suspended for two weeks, after which students would return to write their examination.

    Students said they were not informed about the break, describing it as impromptu. They said management should have informed of its decision a week before the announcement.

  • Student leaders hail poly administrators

    Student leaders hail poly administrators

    Executive members of the National Association of Polytechnic students (NAPS) have visited the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State to assess the institution following some  allegations levelled against its leadership.

    The visitors, led by NAPS President Salaudeen Lukman of Kaduna Polytechnic, praised Oko Poly administrators for the manner they have led the institution.

    There were charges of reckless suspension of lecturers and undue rustication of students among other allegatiuons.

    The NAPS chief said it would have been suicidal if the union had acted based on information it received from various quarters against the school management.

    He said that allegations of suspending lecturers with ignominy, rustication of students with reckless abandon and other anomalies, were heaped on the Rector of the school, Prof Godwin Onu.

    Salaudeen, who said NAPS boasts of 21 million students in the country, said their visit had changed their perception of the happenings in Anambra and the institution.

    He said during the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) their students were blackmailed, harassed, intimidated in the country especially in Lagos State, during their protest and in other states, but they moved on.

    NAPS therefore commended Oko Polytechnic Rector Prof Onu for bringing innovations in the school system and introducing Computer Based Test (CBT) in the institution.

    He said the introduction of CBT gave raise for petitions by some lecturers in the institution, who did not like the idea, adding that any lecturer that does not like it should resign henceforth.

    Salaudeen, said that the incoming administration of president elect, Mohammadu Buhari, has zero tolerance for corruption, adding that those who had been swimming in corruption would not go unpunished.

    After seeing some of the development strides in the school, NAPS president described the Rector as an agent of change, adding that the Association had selected him as the best polytechnic Rector in the country.

    Furthermore, he said that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Association would meet any time from now to pick a date for the award ceremony on the Oko Rector.

    He said, “We are highly disappointed in some of the lecturers who had been complaining against the Rector, other Rectors in the country should emulate Prof Onu, we are indeed weakened by his achievements in this place”

    “Do not have any form of U-turn in your policies, members of NAPSD will serve as your enforcement agents in this country, and from the rate things are going, we believe that federal polytechnic will be the first in this cadre to be made a university in this country”

    “We are not going to accommodate any further blackmail from the academic staff of this institution, enough is enough, and NAPS will take it personal, we want to rescue our education sector” Salaudeen threatened.

    The chairman of the institution’s governing council; Dr. Azubuike Odukwe, told The Nation that the coming of the (NAPS) students will now give the institution a moment of respite.

    He praised the students for coming to the school, at least to verify some of the allegations leveled against the Rector, who according to him, had brought light to the school.

    According to him, “some people want to pull this institution down because of selfish interest, I want to advice the students that any where they see themselves in future, they should be on the positive side and not negative, no matter what ever pressure”.

    “You should not allow anybody to mislead you in any thing you do, if you build the body, it helps the brain, this institution was built in a very lousy foundation and that is why we are rebuilding it now”.

    For the Deputy Rector, Academics, Dr. Mrs. Gladys Anene, people should know that only God makes kings.

    She told The Nation that God would reward members of NAPS who came to verify the situation of things without relying on rumour to make mistakes from a distance.

    Speaking with The Nation after the student’s visit, the Rector, Prof Onu, commended members of the institution’s board for being progress oriented and the understanding group.

    He said that all the petitions against him and flagrant setting up of panels for one investigation or the other in the school amount to distraction without the petitioners knowing it.

    According to him, “I have seen red in this institution but God has been alive, whether they like it or not, this institution must change for real, if God is with you, anybody fighting you will hit the rocks”.

    “The level of extortion by lecturers was so alarming in this school and some of the lecturers failed to realize that some of these students are finding themselves, these are the kind of anomalies we are fighting against here and not suspension of lecturers”.

    “They are extorting poor students and if you query that, they run to their association that you are fighting them, they label you enemy of progress and blackmail you, but we can’t continue like that,” Onu said.

     

  • Ex-RSUST student stranded in Ugandan varsity

    •Begs for help

    It was to enjoy a stable  academic calendar that Mouhammed Ahmed Zein transferred his studentship from Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt, to Kampala International University, Uganda.

    However, his education has become threatened due to financial problems.

    Mouhammed, who was born to a Lebanese father and Nigerian mother, was advised by his father to change schools when RSUST suffered unsteady academic calendar as a result of perennial strikes.  But then, things were good for his father, who worked in Port Harcourt.

    Sadly, since his dad lost his job, Mouhammed has been unable to pay fees at his new school where he is studying civil engineering.  The university authorities have given him a three-week deadline to complete payment or risk not writing examinations.

    Out of desperation, Mouhammed’s worried father, Ahmed Zein, visited the Port Harcourt office of The Nation to appeal to the public for help.

    Mouhammed, who also spoke with this reporter on phone from Uganda, said he has also lost his accommodation because of his inability to pay.  He appealed to Nigerians for help.

    He said: “I am calling on well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and those who can offer help to me to assist me.  I don’t want to drop out of school because my father lost his job. As one whose mother is from Nigeria, I know I have a lot to offer  this country.  I want Nigerian government to assist me.

    “I am presently facing financial difficulties and I’m stranded here, I don’t know what to do.  My exams are coming up by next month. The university has said if I don’t pay they will send me out of school.  I have nothing to eat, and my accommodation has expired. I want Nigerians to assist, no matter how little it is.”

  • Final year student dies in road accident

    Final year student dies in road accident

    Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago Iwoye, Ogun State was thrown into mourning, following the death of a final year Banking and Finance student. Jenifer  Chinonso Azuh died in an auto accident in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    The news of Jenifer’s death hit the campus like a thunderbolt, leaving lecturers and students in grief. Her classmates wept and wailed endlessly.

    The late Jenifer was recently elected the president of Rotaract Club on the campus but she died before the swearing-in. She was also selected as the chairperson of the fundraising committee for the purchase of OOU Catholic Students’ bus.

    •Students joined Catholic priests in silent prayers after the interment
    •Students joined Catholic priests in silent prayers after the interment

    Last Thursday, her remains were buried in her hometown in Anambra State. Some students attended the funeral, while many stayed back on the campus to say prayers for her.

    The deceased brother, Arinze Azuh, a publisher of Yes! International Magazine on wrote her Facebook wall: “I am tempted to question God, but I won’t. Not today, not tomorrow and not even forever. Never ever will I do that. And in spite of how much death has dared me. My youngest sister, the baby of the house and our last born; the ever cheerful and gregarious Augusta Chinonso Azuh died in an auto crash.

    “I am crest-fallen and devastated beyond words. Yet, I won’t question my God. I won’t even ask anybody why a tragedy of this numbing proportion should visit my family again. And so soon after the demise of our patriarch, Ichie Azuh Chimezie.”

    In his tribute, Austine Falujo, a 500-Level Law student, who spoke on behalf of Nigeria Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS), said: “On that day, she left with the hope of returning to us, but sadly it was the last moment we saw and heard from her. Words cannot express how much we love you but God loves you more.”

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, the NFCS President, Johnson Leonard, described the deceased as friendly, accommodating and hardworking. “I still can’t believe Jenifer is dead. She called me in April and told me she was working on how to get funds for the purchase of our bus. This is very painful. We will really miss her.”

  • Student, villager die in well

    Student, villager die in well

    Residents of Igbawere community woke up last Thursday morning to the shocking news of the death of a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY)in Kwara State. The late Sodeeq Akojede, a ND 1 Business and Management student, fell into a well while fetching water for his bath.

    The victim, who hailed from the community, was brought out of the well dead. A sympathiser, who attempted to rescue Sodeeq, also fell into the well and died. The name of the second victim could not be ascertained at press time.

    A witness said he saw the late Sodeeq before he fell into the well. He said: “I passed by the late Sodeeq as he fetched water from the well. Before I could move 300 meters away, he screamed as he fell and this drew people’s attention. But the first person who got to the well slipped inside the pit. Both of them were brought out dead.”

    A student, who pleaded not to be named, said: “We have never recorded such incident in the community. We could not say if the incident was natural or mysterious. How can two persons die at the same spot?”

    The bodies have been deposited at the Offa General Hospital.

  • Student dies in exam hall

    Student dies in exam hall

    It was all tears at the Department of Economics of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto (UDUS) last Thursday, following the death of a 400-Level student in  exam hall.

    The late Sadam Ahmed Achida was said to have collapsed at 10am, two hours after he moved into the hall to write the examination. He was rushed to the school clinic where he died.

    When the news of Ahmed’s death spread, students rushed to the scene. They gathered in groups, discussing the incident in hushed tones.

    The deceased, a sickle-cell patient, took ill during the examination. Some of the students described the late Ahmed as brilliant and gentle. He was said to be one of the best students in the department.

    Abdulrahman Lukman, his classmate, said: “The late Ahmed had been ill before the exam started. I noticed two of his friends used to guide him into the hall and that is how I knew he was ill. He was being treated at a hospital, from where he would come to the examination hall to write his paper.”

    His close friend, Ma’aji Akilu, also in 400-Level Economics, said: “The late Ahmed was a sickle-cell victim. On April 26, the late Ahmed called me at 10pm to inform me that he was admitted in the hospital, from where he came to write his papers. He was brought to the school to write exam at 7:30am on the day he died. He took a soft drink in his car before he moved into the examination hall. By the time he finished the exam at 10am, his condition changed and he breathed heavily. He was quickly rushed to the school clinic, but the next report we got was that he is dead.”

    The late Ahmed hailed from Achida ward in Wurno Local Government Area of the state.

  • Student slumps, dies

    A student of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) died on Wednesday after collapsing at the institute’s hostel in Lagos.

    An official of the institute told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the woman, simply identified as Tina, died while being taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    The official, who pleaded anonymity, said Tina was a worker in the institute’s Abuja office.

    “Tina had been very ill and needed some financial assistance to get medical attention.

    “The management had granted her permission to go for treatment and had also promised her some financial assistance before she died,’’ the official said.

    According to the officer, the deceased, who hailed from the North, had been on medication for an undisclosed ailment.

    A top official of the institute, who also did not want to be identified, confirmed the student’s death.

    She said members of staff had concluded arrangements to take her body to mortuary.

    “LASUTH by its policy will not accept the corpse of a patient that did not die in the hospital.

    “This is a rude shock to us, it is quite painful,’’ the official said.

    NAN learnt that a cleaner died earlier this year while on duty.

  • Student arraigned for ‘assaulting’ landlord

    A tenant, Doris Okafor (24), yesterday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting her landlord.

    Okafor, a student, who lives at 43, 4th Avenue, Road 403, Festac Town in Lagos, was charged with “conspiracy and assault occasioning harm.”

    Prosecuting, Sergeant Daniel Ighodalo said Okafor committed the offences on March 18 at 66, Emmanuel Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

    He said the accused with four others at large assaulted the landlord, Godwin Ulom, in his Lekki home.

    “The student assaulted the landlord after he had a confrontation with her for smoking hemp as well as her alleged association with persons of questionable character. The tenant came to the landlord’s residence with four men suspected to be hoodlums to beat him up,’’ Ighodalo said.

    The offences, he said, contravened Sections 171 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Section 171 recommends three years imprisonment for assault occasioning harm Section 409 provides a two-year jail term for conspiracy.

    Okafor pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Olaitan Ajayi granted him N20,000 bail with a surety in the like sum. She adjourned the case till May 18 for mention.