The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, has confirmed that the university lost two students during the recent unrest in parts of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State.
Ishaya disclosed this on Thursday during a news conference in Jos. He identified the deceased as Abel Gershon, a 300-level student in the Department of Building, and Adeyomo Temitope, a 500-level student in the Department of Quantity Surveying.
“Abel Gershon was shot in the stomach on March 29 and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Unfortunately, he died on Sunday, April 5,” Ishaya said.
“Adeyomo Temitope left the campus alone on April 1 and encountered violence along Bauchi Road. He was shot and macheted to death by hoodlums.”
The Vice Chancellor also said that four other students and one staff member were injured and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
“So, we have a total of five members of the university community affected by this incident: four students and one staff member,” he added.
On March 29, gunmen attacked the Angwan Rukuba community, killing several people and injuring many others. Angwan Rukuba is home to numerous staff and students of the university. The incident prompted the state government to impose a 48-hour curfew. However, violence reportedly spread to other communities after the curfew was lifted on April 1.
Ishaya extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and said that those receiving treatment in the hospital were responding well.
He maintained that the scheduled April 13 resumption date for students remains unchanged, saying that security measures had been reinforced within the university and its immediate host communities.
The Vice Chancellor assured that the university is safe, noting that none of its campuses had ever been attacked since the onset of crises in Plateau State. He appealed to parents and guardians to ensure that their wards return to campus to complete their examinations.
