Chaos erupted in Lapai, Niger State, on June 23, 2025, after Jafar, a 200-level student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), was murdered during a late-night robbery at his off-campus lodge near the university gate. The assailants, who reportedly struck around 2:30 am, stabbed the only son of his parents in the neck before fleeing the scene. He was confirmed dead shortly after being rushed to General Hospital Lapai.
In a swift response marked by anger and grief, hundreds of students took to the streets, blocking the busy Agaie–Lapai highway. Tensions escalated when one of the suspected robbers was allegedly caught and lynched by an enraged mob of students, according to eyewitnesses and footage circulating online.
The students accused both the university and local authorities of ignoring repeated calls to boost security around off-campus hostels, where incidents of theft, rape, and murder have reportedly increased over the past year. “How many more of us need to die before action is taken?” one student asked during the protest. “Our voices have been dismissed before. This time, we won’t let it go.”
Many universities across Nigeria maintain police outposts near student lodges and academic buildings, but students at IBBU say their repeated pleas for similar infrastructure have gone unanswered. Protesters demanded the immediate establishment of a permanent security outpost around Lapai’s student-populated areas and for the state government to initiate a comprehensive urban security overhaul.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the killing and protest in an official statement. “Today, being 23rd June 2025, at about 3 am, some hoodlums attacked a student lodge in Ndakitabu area via Lapai. One Jafar was stabbed in the neck and later confirmed dead at General Hospital Lapai,” he said. Abiodun noted that by the time officers arrived, the attackers had fled.
Following the unrest, tactical police teams have been deployed to Lapai to restore calm. The Commissioner of Police has vowed that “no stone will be left unturned” in apprehending those behind the crime. Meanwhile, community stakeholders, students, and youth leaders are calling for a full inquiry into the failure of local security systems and justice for the slain student.
The latest incident adds to the growing outcry over insecurity in Nigerian campuses and renews calls for immediate legislative and executive action to protect students, especially in isolated university towns where state presence is minimal.
