Soldiers pursue Mubi students’ killers •Jonathan, Senate, others condemn killing •NANS declares 3 days mourning

FOLLOWING the gruesome killing, on Monday night, of about 46 students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State, soldiers on Wednesday, began a house-to-house search to track down the assailants.

It was learnt that prior to the attack, there had been rivalry among different groups of students in the school, sometimes influenced by factors such as national politics, religion and ethnicity. There were also reports that the massacre generated from students union election which was held at the weekend.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that it would be the first time that such political differences in the school would snowball into violence, leading to the deployment of brute force in settling scores.

Head of the Red Cross in the state, Abubakar Ahmed, who confirmed the development, said “the soldiers are going from house to house searching.”

The Editor, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa service, Mansur Liman, said the newly elected leader of the students union of the school, Chimaobi Venitus Mbaegbu, was among those killed in the incident.  

However, it was gathered further that all the casualties were men, while ladies only lost their monies, handsets and other valuables to the gunmen.

A female student of the institution who did not want her name in print told the Nigerian Tribune that the incident, which happened around 11.00 p.m. when students were already in bed, caught them unawares.

According to her, “we were already in bed and suddenly, we heard gunshots in our area. It was late and nowhere to run to. They slaughtered some students, while some were gunned down. Those who tried to escape were gunned down as well.

This came as President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the killing and directed the nation’s security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the massacre with a view to getting to the root of the matter.

The directive followed briefings given on the matter at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting by the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayat Rufai.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, who stood in for the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, the president described the tragedy as “tragic, sad and shocking.”

He added that the president sent his condolences to the bereaved families and the authorities of the institution, noting that an attack in which people were called out and slaughtered was shocking.

Meanwhile, the Adamawa State police command, on Wednesday, said it had made arrests in connection with the Mubi massacre.

The police spokesman, Muhhamed Ibrahim, on Wednesday, said some arrests had been made, adding that the Force Headquarters would soon come out with fact on what really transpired in Mubi.

“Really, we cannot rule out possibility that the attack was carried out by one of these groups — Boko Haram, cultism, or students politicians — but investigations will reveal the real perpetrators of the crimes,” he said.

He said among those  killed were students who recently won election in the institution, a situation making the police to think that the massacre might be in connection with the outcome of the election.

The state government condemned the Monday massacre.

According to a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Kobis Thimnu, Governor Murtala Nyako had dispatched a government delegation to Mubi, to ascertain the level of the destruction and also condole with families of the slain students.

In another development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had declared three days mourning, while it also gave a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

NANS, in a statement signed by its president, Mohammed Dauda, described the act as barbaric and demanded for immediate probe of the circumstances surrounding the incident and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Also, the Senate, on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to invoke capital punishment on terrorists and whoever was behind the murder of the students.

The resolution was based on a motion moved by Senator Jibralla Bindowo, which condemned the killings, while describing the development as “barbaric and unacceptable.”