UNIBEN

Maria Precious Tunde, a female undergraduate student of the University of Benin in Edo State, reportedly died in her sleep.

According to sources, the tragic incident took place on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at the deceased’s off-campus residence in Ekosodin village, a small student town near the school. Collected until her death on Sunday, the late Maria was a final year student of the faculty of education at the institution’s Ugbowo campus.

It was also revealed that the deceased was in a good mood before going to bed last night but did not wake up the next day (Sunday), shocking the old friend. All attempts to revive her proved futile as Maria was allegedly found stoned by her co-tenants, who then invited her parents to the spot, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Police could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report. Only a month ago, a final year student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was shot dead in what appeared to be a cult-related killing.

The deceased public administration student nicknamed “Mayor” was shot dead in his room in Hall 3 of the hostel. Before he was killed, he was said to be Kergit’s boss.

A student, who did not want to be named, said the deceased was shot in the face at close range.

The student said, “The killing of Desmond has caused panic in the school. Students are even afraid to stay in the hostel. He was shot in the face and had no chance to survive the attack.”

Vehicles said to belong to the University and its staff parked within the institution’s premises were not spared as their windscreens were smashed by the rampaging unknown Soldiers.

It was tales of woes, sorrow and blood for some students and staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State when unspecified number of yet-to-be identified military men from the S&T Barracks Ugbowo, stormed the Ivory Tower in the wee hours of Friday in what looked like a reprisal attack.

At the end of the midnight invasion, scores of University of Benin security guards at the main entrance gate and passersby were injured as the sound of sporadic gunshots were heard by neighbours and passersby, which was said to have lasted for almost an hour.

The alleged “reprisal” attack followed early Thursday’s clash between some students of the University and Soldiers, resulting from resistance of the students to the Soldiers’ attempt to shunt ATM queues on campus.

The soldiers were said to have descended on a female student, who they assumed was video-recording the act.
Angered by the action of the female student, the soldiers also attempted to forcefully take her to their barracks, which was resisted by a large crowd of students.

A security officer on campus, who was said to have intervened in the ensuing melee, was allegedly assaulted by the angry soldiers.

The development reportedly led to a retaliation from the angry civilians.

A viral video of the incident showed one of the soldiers on the floor overpowered and trampled upon in the ensuing pandemonium.

The soldier was eventually said to have escaped from the university campus through the fence.

It was gathered that the soldiers believed to be from S&T Barracks in Benin City subsequently invaded the university campus late Thursday night by scaling the perimeter fence to beat up security officers on night duty and destroying several vehicles parked within the campus.

Some unarmed civilians including residents on campus, who were attempting to use the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) on bank road in the school premises, were caught up in the reprisal attack and were also not left out as the soldiers pounced on them, leaving them with various degree of injuries.

When our Correspondent visited the troubled Ivory Tower at the Ugbowo campus, several damaged vehicles littered the vicinity of the main campus.

Some of the injured, it was gathered, were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for urgent medical attention.

A medical personnel at the tertiary hospital said many of the injured were brought in early Friday morning and they (medical personnel) had a busy time attending to them.

Meanwhile, the Management of UNIBEN has appealed to staff members and students for calm and not to take the law into their hands or protest over the incident.

In a statement early Friday morning personally signed by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Lilian Salami, she said management was in discussion with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for amicable resolution.

“The Management acknowledges that these are challenging times for everyone and enjoins all to remain calm while efforts are being made to avert a re-occurrence,” she said.

Professor Salami called on the students to “constantly engage dialogue in resolving issues that concern them rather than taking to protests, at any provocation, thereby causing more injury and damage to themselves and other citizens.”

However, when contacted, the Edo State Police spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said he was in Abuja and could not give details on the incident but directed our correspondent to speak with his 2i/c, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, who confirmed the incident.

ASP Iwegbu said all efforts were on to restore peace back just as he also appealed for calm.

As at the time of filing this report, the Military authorities was yet to issue any statement on the incident

University of Benin (UNIBEN) students have on Thursday, February 2, 2023, reportedly beaten up a soldier after he and his colleagues tried to jump an ATM queue on campus.

Trouble was said to have started as attempts to jump the queue by the soldiers was met with stiff resistance by the students who had waited patiently on the queue for their turn.

It was gathered that the soldiers had on Wednesday, approached the ATM in the same alleged oppressive manners and wanted to repeat the same on Thursday when the students asked them to queue up if they are to withdraw from the ATM

“On Wednesday, they (the soldiers) came here (the ATM inside the University) and harassed the students. They even asked the students who challenged them to queue up to lie on the ground.

“But yesterday (Thursday) when they came again and wanted to do the same thing, the student resisted them,” an eyewitness who did not want his name mentioned said.

While the heated arguments lasted between the students and the military officers, the Chief Security Officer, CSO, of the institution was said to have moved to the scene, apparently with a view to intervening when he got assaulted by the soldiers who they claimed slapped the CSO.

The development, according to the source heightened the already tense atmosphere as the students in their numbers pounced on the soldiers with one of them reportedly sustaining injury.

The aggrieved students afterwards barricaded Ugbowo-Lagos Expressway and halt vehicular movements for several hours, as all routes leading to and fro the UNIBEN main gate were stalled in protest against the soldiers’ action.

It took the intervention of some spirited Nigerians and the Deputy Police Officer, DPO, Ugbowo division to appease the irate students to allow movement around the axis.

When contacted, the Police spokesperson in the State, SP Chidi Nwabuzor said he was in Abuja and could not give details but directed our correspondent to speak with his 2i/c, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, who confirmed the incident.

— Lemonade_🍹 (@_kathiiie) February 2, 2023
SUGGESTION: You can receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp, click “HERE” to join our group.

ASP Iwegbu said peace was restored after several appeals to the student but claimed that the students want a phone belonging to one of the unnamed students that were smashed on the ground fixed to end the gruel.

In a swift reaction, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Lilian Salami in a statement on Friday, lamented the “unfortunate incident” and sued for calm, assuring that efforts are being made to avert a reoccurrence in future.

“The situation has been brought under control and the Management of the University is in discussions with the hierarchy of the S & T for amicable resolution,” she said