Friends, family members and members of the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA) community on Sunday bid an emotional farewell to 400-level Chemistry student, Habiba Ummi Lele, who was shot dead by suspected armed robbers in Nasarawa State, as fresh concerns mount over the worsening security situation affecting students in the state.
Habiba was reportedly killed on Saturday, when suspected armed robbers opened fire on the vehicle conveying her back to Lafia after attending a friend’s graduation ceremony at the College of Health and Technology, Keffi. She died on the spot.
The Executive Chairman of Awe Local Government Council, Hon. Umar Abubakar Dan’AKano, and the member representing Awe North Constituency, Hon. Hudu A. Hudu Kanje, were reported to have attended her funeral prayer held on Sunday at Hon. Kanje’s residence in Kanje.
Family members, friends, community leaders and sympathisers gathered to pay their last respect and support the bereaved family.
The incident triggered an outpouring of grief on social media, with many Nigerians mourning the undergraduate and lamenting the country’s worsening insecurity.
Reacting on Facebook, Mujahid Saleh Saad prayed for the deceased and her family, writing: “We pray that Almighty Allah forgive her shortcomings, give her family, friends and the entire FULAFIA community the strength to bear this painful loss, and protect all travellers from harm.”
On Instagram, Stephiny Ugomma expressed sadness over the increasing wave of tragic incidents, saying, “To hear good news these days is by God’s grace.”
Another Facebook user, Tony Ocheni, decried the country’s security challenges, posting: “The number of people being killed in Nigeria is higher than countries that are fighting wars.”
Also reacting on Instagram, a user identified as The Quiet described the security situation in Nasarawa State as alarming, stating: “The rising cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in Nasarawa State is becoming deeply alarming. How many more innocent lives must be lost before stronger action is taken?”
Habiba’s death comes days after suspected gunmen abducted three 100-level students of the Federal University of Lafia during a late-night raid on Sure Leaders Lodge, an off-campus student hostel in the Bukan Kwato area of Lafia.
The attackers reportedly stormed the lodge at about 8:45 p.m. on Saturday and forcefully whisked the students away, heightening fears over the safety of students living outside the university campus.
The back-to-back incidents have intensified calls by students, parents and residents for security agencies and the Nasarawa State Government to strengthen security around student communities and major roads across the state.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the robbery attack that claimed Habiba’s life, while efforts were reportedly ongoing to rescue the abducted students.
(Daily Trust)
