BLOOD ON CAMPUS: Nasarawa Polytechnic Student’s Fatal Attack with Axe and Knife
In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the academic community, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, has been arrested for allegedly killing a fellow student during a violent altercation.
The suspect, identified as John Gambo, an ND2 student in the Banking and Finance Department, reportedly attacked Ibrahim Matthew, a part-time ND2 Computer Science student, with an axe and a knife, leading to his death.
According to a statement by the Nasarawa Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, the incident occurred in the early hours of February 6, 2025. The police were alerted by a resident named Mercy Bassey, who reported a violent dispute between two individuals at a lodge located behind ECWA Peace College on Shagari Road, Nasarawa.
Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, dispatched a team of detectives to the scene. They discovered Ibrahim Matthew lying in a pool of blood with severe injuries.
He was immediately transported to the General Hospital in Nasarawa, where medical personnel confirmed his death. The body was subsequently deposited in the morgue for a post-mortem examination.
Following a swift investigation, the suspect, John Gambo, was apprehended. During interrogation, Gambo confessed to attacking the deceased with both an axe and a knife. The police recovered the weapons used in the assault from the suspect.
The Commissioner of Police has ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for comprehensive investigation and subsequent prosecution.
This incident underscores a troubling pattern of violence within educational institutions in Nasarawa State. In a related development, a student of Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic in Lafia, identified as Achinya Terhile Timothy, died after allegedly being assaulted by soldiers.
Reports indicate that Timothy, a National Diploma 2 Mechanical Engineering student, was celebrating his sign-out day on September 6, 2024, when soldiers arrested and assaulted him and at least five other students at a hotel opposite the school campus.
Timothy’s family has accused the Nigerian Army of seizing his body and obstructing their efforts to retrieve it. The army has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
These incidents have sparked outrage and concern among students, faculty, and the general public, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced security measures and conflict resolution mechanisms within educational institutions. The authorities are urged to conduct thorough investigations and implement strategies to prevent such tragedies in the future.