A dark cloud of grief and anxiety has fallen over the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA) community following the tragic killing of a final-year Chemistry student, Habiba Ummi Lele, by suspected armed robbers in Nasarawa State.
The incident comes just days after three 100-level students of the institution were kidnapped from an off-campus hostel, raising serious safety concerns for undergraduates in the state.
Habiba Ummi Lele shot dead
Friends, family, and classmates gathered on Sunday for an emotional funeral service to bid farewell to Habiba, a 400-level student whose life was cut short on Saturday.
Reports indicate that Habiba was travelling back to Lafia after celebrating a friend’s graduation at the College of Health and Technology in Keffi when the vehicle she was travelling in came under fire from suspected bandits along the highway. She died on the scene from gunshot injuries.
The news of her death triggered a wave of mourning across social media platforms, with citizens calling on federal and state authorities to address the rising wave of highway criminality.
Hostel raid: Three 100-level students abducted in Lafia
Habiba’s death follows a violent security breach in the state capital earlier in the week. Gunmen raided Sure Leaders Lodge, an off-campus student residence in the Bukan Kwato neighbourhood of Lafia, at approximately 8:45 p.m.
The attackers broke into the facility and forcefully abducted three 100-level undergraduates, escaping into the surrounding area before security personnel could intervene.
Growing demands for enhanced student safety
The rapid succession of attacks targeting university students has ignited widespread outrage from parents, student bodies, and community leaders. Stakeholders are demanding that the Nasarawa State Government and security agencies deploy static patrols, intensify intelligence gathering, and establish dedicated security outposts around off-campus residential zones and major inter-state transport corridors.
As of Sunday evening, state police and security authorities had not issued a formal report on the highway robbery that claimed Habiba’s life. Rescue operations to locate and liberate the three kidnapped freshmen remain ongoing.
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