The Senate of Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola has ordered an indefinite closure of the school following students’ unrest on Sunday. Students of the federal university of technology have two hours to vacate the campus.
The decision was the outcome of an emergency meeting of the Senate which took place Monday.
The school confirmed one student had been killed.
Earlier reports said the crisis was caused by a student union government leadership tussle.
But the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has quoted sources as denying that claim, saying instead the violence started following an alleged blasphemy of the Prophet Muhammad by a message on the engineering students’ WhatsApp.
The message posted by a student, irked some Muslims students to stage a protest that turned violent, leading to the burning of places of worship including mosques and a chapel.
The latest violence had also been brewing following a recent students’ union election that polarised the students along religious lines, however the school management would not immediately confirm or deny the cause of the crisis.
But the dean of students’ affairs, Haruna Lawal, said students were asked to hurriedly leave the school while security had been beefed up.
Mr. Lawal said the first semester examination scheduled to begin today (Monday) had been suspended.
‘’We have now shut the university in order to ensure the restoration of sanity following what happened late night,” he said.
‘’Security personnel including DSS, police, and civil defence corps have been drafted to maintain vigilance in conjunction with the internal security apparatus of the university.
‘’The students have been given notice to leave the university premises before 2:00 pm today.”
Describing how a student died from the crisis, Lawal said “in the wake of the crisis, some students leaving in Sangere village that houses majority of the students, engaged in fisticuff with the residents of the area during which one of the student was injured.”
“The injured student was later taken to the university clinic for treatment and later transferred to a nearby hospital FMC in Yola, where he gave the ghost.”
