Bauchi State Police Command unveiled disturbing details about the fatal stabbing of Joseph Agabaidu, a 500-level Geology student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU).
The police disclosed that Agabaidu was attempting to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from unknown assailants when the tragic incident occurred.
According to the police spokesperson, Ahmed Wakil, Agabaidu and his girlfriend encountered unidentified assailants who snatched her handbag, containing a mobile phone, near the Yelwa area in Bauchi.
“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 this 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,” he said.
Despite being rushed to ATBU Teaching Hospital for medical care, Agabaidu succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
Wakil emphasized that the assailants’ identities and their exact numbers remain unknown.
The tragic event sparked outrage among students, leading to a protest that prompted the school’s management to close the institution temporarily.
The police clarified that the protest, which they attributed to “miscreants,” disrupted the peace at the campus.
Following the incident, representatives from student bodies, including NUBAS and SUG, met with Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Auwal Mohammed. During the meeting, student leaders condemned the violent protest and commended the police for swiftly addressing the situation.
The police commissioner assured the students of increased security measures and the deployment of intelligence and operational assets to enhance safety in affected areas. He emphasized the police’s commitment to apprehending the perpetrators and ensuring justice for Agabaidu while urging a peaceful resolution to conflicts.
Mohammed highlighted the importance of reconciliation over violence and discouraged taking the law into one’s hands.
The commissioner assured the students of ongoing efforts to apprehend the assailants and emphasized the police’s commitment to serving justice.
