Two students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) have lost their lives while scrambling to collect food items given to them by the state government as palliatives to cushion the current economic situation in the country.
According to Leadership Newspaper, the students, whose identity cannot be immediately ascertained, were stampeded to death on Friday morning.
A source in the institution confirmed that the affected students were females, adding that several others sustained various degrees of injuries during the incident which took place at the Convention Square within the institution.
The National President of the Nasarawa State Students Association, Yunusa Yusuf Baduku also confirmed the incident, stating that those who were injured have been rushed to hospitals in the area for medical attention.
Baduku, however, could not immediately confirm the number of casualties.
“Seriously, what happened this morning at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, is uncalled for, and very pathetic.
“After our arrangement for the distribution of palliatives to the students which was to hold at the University’s Convocation Square, they (students) suddenly arrived at the venue in their numbers and overpowered the security.
“They broke through the gate into the Convocation Square where the bags of rice was to be shared. Unfortunately, most of our female students sustained several degrees of injuries, while others got suffocated because of the population at the venue for the distribution of the palliatives.
“Right now, I am at the Federal Medical Center, Keffi, where we brought some of our students for emergency treatment. For the numbers of those injured, I cannot confirm that at the moment because some of them are at the school’s clinic while others are here at the FMC, Keffi receiving treatment,” he explained.
It was gathered that the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, had extended the distribution of palliatives to students of high institutions in the state.
The state government commenced the distribution of 7:5 kilograms of rice to students across institutions located in Lafia, the state capital on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the sum of N5, 000 each amounting to N35 million were also handed along with the items.
The benefiting students were drawn from the Federal University of Lafia, Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, as well as the School of Nursing and Midwifery Lafia.
However, the NSUK exercise turned chaotic as students broke into the venue resulting in a stampede.