Kogi Poly Shut Down Over Lecturer’s Murder During Ebira And Igala Clash

The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja has closed down the institution indefinitely following the killing of a senior lecturer, Mr Nathaniel Abimaje by some students during an clash between students of the main ethnic groups in the state.

Mr Abimaje said to be a senior lecturer was allegedly stabbed to death by his students when trying to settle a dispute amongst them. The dispute allegedly degenerated from a clash between two females of the Ebira and Igala tribes.

The Polytechnic has been shut down indefinitely and students were asked to vacate their hostels as security operatives now patrol the institution.

The management of the school stated that the institution was shut down to prevent the crisis from degenerating.

Ethnic Clash

Our correspondent in Lokoja who visited the institution reports that the lecturer was said to have been stabbed to death by some group of students while he tried to mediate in the crisis that involved two ethnic groups in the Polytechnic.

The Kogi State Polytechnic which has been peaceful since its establishment, recently recorded some conflict between students from the two major ethnic groups in the state; Ebira and Igala.

It was gathered that the tribal groups have been at logger heads over a crisis that involved two female students of the institution, since March.

The crisis that led to killing of the lecturer was said to have started at about 9pm in the night between the Ebira students and Igala students.

The fracas led students to take to their heels while some were wounded during the calamity.

Some students were lucky to have immediately left the institution with their belongings while some others were not lucky as they were not allowed into the dormitories by security operatives  following the school’s closure.

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Mathew Ajibero who spoke to Channels TV in Lokoja, said the initial crisis between the two females was resolved, but he could not explain what caused the fresh crisis, stating that the institution will investigate the issue.

While some students were already leaving for their homes, some were still waiting outside the school to get their properties out of the dormitories.

The students refused to speak to Channels TV out of fear that they might either been expelled or attacked.

Eventually, a student of the polytechnic who spoke to us blamed the school’s management for failing to manage the crisis well before it degenerated into manslaughter.