IBBUL Students Protest Fatal Stabbing, Demand Better Security
Students of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUL), Lapai, took to the streets on Monday, June 23, 2025, to protest the tragic killing of a fellow student. The protest, which saw students block major roads and target the university's security office, was sparked by the fatal stabbing of a student during an attack by hoodlums at a student lodge.
Incensed by what they described as a consistent lack of protection from university management and authorities, students barricaded the Lapai-Agaie and Lapai-Minna roads, causing significant disruption. The demonstration escalated with the vandalism of the university's security office, a clear message of their frustration over repeated security breaches and what they claim is insufficient response to prior attacks.
While this recent protest at IBBUL highlights pressing security concerns, Niger State has a history of student and youth-led demonstrations:
* Economic Hardship (February & July 2024): Protests erupted in Minna earlier this year over soaring inflation and the rising cost of fuel and gas. Though not exclusively student-led, young people were reportedly active participants. Separately, in July 2024, despite the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Niger State Axis, opting for dialogue over a planned nationwide protest on economic hardship, some youths still marched on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway to voice their grievances.
* ASUU Strike (February 2022): Nigerian students, including those in Minna, previously protested the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, demanding a resolution to allow them to return to their studies.
The latest protest at IBBUL underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures within the university community to prevent further tragedies and ensure student safety.
