The Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, has disclosed that it was impatience on the side of the students that caused Friday’s stampede that claimed two students’ lives and left 14 others injured.
The VC said this in reaction to the incident adding that the students were not patient enough for the orderly sharing of the rice.
The stampede occurred when the students, along with some hoodlums in the neighbourhood, swooped on bags of rice donated by the state government to alleviate the current economic hardship.
The consignment had been kept at the institution’s convocation square with the governor expected to begin distribution Friday morning.
The governor was being awaited when the students and the hoodlums overpowered the security men at the gate, trooped into the square and started looting the bags of rice.
Many were trampled in the stampede resulting in the casualties.
Reacting Bala-Mohammed said, “The gesture of the state government was supposed to be a relief for the students given the hardship across the country, unfortunately the students were not patient enough to follow the process of accessing the palliatives.
“There was a stampede. So many of the students got injured. Two students lost their lives.
“What happened has hurt our reputation, our image and created a bad name for us. We will not accept that. An investigation will take place and, hopefully, we will have all the facts and information.
“For now, our thoughts and prayers are with our two deceased students and their families, members of the university community as well as those who were injured,” he said.
Urging other students to go about their academic activities, the VC asked them to maintain peace and follow regulations, while warning that anything short of that will be an invitation to trouble.
