News

BREAKING: Police Reveals How 500L ATBU Student Was Stabbed To Death

Published

2 years ago

December 6, 2023

Editor

The Bauchi State Police Command has revealed that the 500-level Geology student of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, who was stabbed and later died in the hospital, was trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from some assailants when the incident happened.

The PUNCH had reported that the final year Geology student, Joseph Agabaidu, according to multiple sources on the campus, was stabbed by some assailants while trying to steal his mobile phone.

Agabaidu, who hails from Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State but is based in Benue State, was said to be the eldest among four children of his family who school at ATBU.

He was said to be returning to his lodge situated around the Yelwan Tudu market in the Yelwa area, a suburb of the Bauchi metropolis, at about 7.00 pm on Saturday, when he was attacked and was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment but could not survive the severe injuries from the knife.

The incident sparked a protest among students of the school who came out in their numbers at the Yelwa Campus to express their anger at the inadequate security in and around the campus and to call for the attention of the management and the government.

Following the protest, the management, in a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar Academic, Fatima Abdullahi, shut down the school and directed students to vacate the campus immediately because the protest carried out by “miscreants” disrupted the peace being enjoyed on the campus.

But the police, in a statement signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday, by its Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, said that the deceased was with his girlfriend when assailants whose identity and number are still unknown snatched her handbag containing her mobile phone.

Wakil added that when the deceased tried to retrieve his girlfriend’s bag, they stabbed him on the side of his chest but he later died while on admission at the ATBU Teaching Hospital.

He said: “Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Command, CP Auwal Mohammed received in the audience the leadership of two student bodies (NUBAS and SUG ) in his office at the State Command Headquarters.

“Their visits were prompted by the recent incident which occurred on 2nd December 2023 where some unknown persons, numbers not ascertained, snatched a handbag containing a mobile phone belonging to a lady, one Philomena Ahobee (28), a student of Abubakar Tatari Polytechnic, Bauchi.

“As a result of which her boyfriend, Agbaidu Joseph, (28) of Anguwan Ngas who is a student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, tried to help her to retrieve the handbag containing the phone. The assailant(s) stabbed him on the left side of his chest with a sharp knife.

“The victim was rushed to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi for treatment but he was certified dead while on admission by a medical doctor.”

The PPRO said that the leadership of the students union while addressing the CP, kicked against the “violent protest by some erring students of the university” and applauded the CP for his swift response and for nipping it in the bud with the “violent protesters.”

He said that the student leaders presented a letter of request to the Commissioner of Police soliciting more security presence around their communities and “in his response, the Commissioner of Police began by observing a minute of silence in honor of the deceased.”

Wakil said that while accepting the letter, the CP assured them of the deployment of the Intelligence and operational assets of the Command to the affected areas and also ordered the posting of more personnel and patrol vans for constant visibility patrol in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police reiterated that the basic obligation of the police is to protect the lives and properties of the citizens, excessive use of force to quench violence is not the only last available option to a police officer in matters of conflict and crisis resolution.

“He said that in the process of policing society, certain ‘unavoidable problems’ come to the fore, saying that even at such, there is a need for utmost demonstration of professionalism,” he said.

He quoted the police boss as saying: “Right cannot be fought through violence but by way of reconciliation.”

According to him, the Police commissioner said that it was wrong for the students to have taken laws into their own hands in a matter that only the higher institutions and other relevant stakeholders can adjudicate, “thereby creating a vacuum for unscrupulous persons to hijack the protest and turn it into a violent one leading to a confrontation with the school authority.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Muhammed, assured that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the culprit(s) that perpetrated the inhumane dastardly act on the deceased and further assured that justice will be served unfailingly,” he said.

News

Edo Assembly Recalls 324 Employment Letters

Published

2 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission has cancelled earlier employment offered to 324 personnel.

In a statement jointly signed by Ezehi Igbas and Mrs Isoken Nehi-Olotu, Chairman and Secretary of the commission respectively, declared the employment letters issued to the 324 affected persons null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The statement said issuance of employment letters to the affected persons was unauthorized, illegal and unlawful.

The statement reads: “The Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission hereby tenders an unreserved apology to all recipients of the unauthorized and unlawful employment letters and deeply regrets all inconveniences caused to all persons affected by its actions.”

News

NUJ Reacts As Sacked Edo Taskforce Boss Assaults EBS Staff

Published

2 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Sacked boss of the defunct Edo Public Safety Response Team, Kelly Okungbowa popularly known as Ebostone on Wednesday assaulted two staff of the Edo Broadcasting Service at the government house.

The incident happened during an empowerment programme for 250 special people in the state at the Festival Hall, government house.

It was gathered that trouble started when nine others who were not captured in the programme stormed the venue, to protest their exclusion.

At that moment, the Edo Broadcasting Service cameraman at the venue was attacked by Okungbowa, who felt he (the cameraman) was recording the commotion.

The reporter, Juliet Aisien, immediately stood up to defend her cameraman and explain the need for Okungbowa not to assault her cameraman and that they belong to a state-owned outfit.

Okungbowa, who was piqued at this point, hit the reporter on her shoulder when he attempted to slap.

Reacting to the development in a statement, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, condemned the act and described it as an attack on press freedom.

The statement signed by Festus Alenkhe and Andy Egbon, Chairman and Secretary respectively, reads: “The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, condemned in strong terms the assault on Juliet Enabulele Asein, a reporter with the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS), who was assaulted and manhandled by Kelly Okungbowa (Ebo Stone) at a public function in Benin City on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

“The leadership of the union considers this act as a blatant attack on press freedom, the safety of journalists, and the right of media professionals to carry out their lawful duties without fear, intimidation, or violence.

“The NUJ further warns that attacks on journalists in the line of duty will no longer be tolerated, and urges members of the public, especially public figures, to exercise restraint and show respect for the constitutional role of the media in strengthening democracy and promoting accountability.

“The Union calls on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to immediately arrest Kelly Okungbowa, investigate him and bring him to justice.”

Recalled that in March, Governor Monday Okpebholo suspended indefinitely the activities of the Public Safety Response Team headed by Kelly Okungbowa.

There have been several complaints about the activities of the body, with the latest resulting in the death of a two-year-old girl on Wednesday.

At Ring Road in Benin, officers of the PSRT attempted to take over the steering wheel of a moving vehicle, causing the driver to lose control.

The bus then veered off the road and rammed into a roadside POS kiosk where the young girl and her mother were standing, killing the child instantly.

Also in the same month, operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested Okungbowa for alleged naira abuse.

News

Kingsley Aigbangbee: A Name Built On Grassroots Impact

Published

4 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

In communities across Edo State, development is often spoken of in promises, big words waiting for action. But every so often, a name emerges that shifts the conversation from expectations to evidence. In IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDIN In Ovia North East Local Government Area that name is Kingsley Aibangbee… a man whose work has quietly reshaped everyday life. His approach is rooted in a timeless philosophy once echoed by an American president: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

For Aibangbee, this message is more than a quote, it is a blueprint.
September 2023 marked a turning point for Orenolomi Secondary School. Once a tired structure with fading walls and empty classrooms, the school had become a symbol of abandonment. But that changed when Aibangbee stepped in. With no fanfare, no political stage, he reconstructed the school completely, restoring not just a building, but the future of hundreds of children.

Yet, for him, the work wasn’t finished. A school is only as strong as the people who keep it running. So he employed four teachers—paid directly from his own pocket—who remain on his payroll to this day. In an era where many wait for government intervention, his actions stood out as a reminder of what one individual can choose to do for the many.

But Aibangbee’s impact didn’t stop in the classroom.
Every student received free uniforms and writing materials a simple gesture that removed financial barriers for families and drew many children back to school. In homes where survival often competes with education, this support made all the difference.
Beyond education, the heartbeat of the community, its economy also felt his touch. A modern market now stands proudly in IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDI, built through his effort. What used to be makeshift stalls and risky trading corners has transformed into a structured, safer space where local traders can earn their living with dignity.

Across the community, the message is resounding, Kingsley Aibangbee isn’t waiting for government rescue, political promises, or applause. His story reflects a quiet revolution, one built on service, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief that true leadership begins where the people stand.

In every corner of IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDIN, in every classroom, every uniform, every stall in the new market… his actions echo the challenge of that famous American quote. Not what your “country can do for you but what you can do for your country”!!!!