The Federal House of Representatives on Thursday mandated its joint committee on Army, Security and Police Affairs to undertake a thorough investigation of the alleged killing of four students of Nasarawa State University by the Nigerian Army.
In order to douse tension within the area, the House urged the inspector general of police and other relevant security agencies to immediately take steps to forestall any further breakdown of law and order.
Before adopting the motion, members of the House observed a minute’s silence for the killed students of the university.
In his lead debate, Kingsley Chinda, who sponsored the motion titled “killing of Students of the Nassarawa State University by men of the Nigerian Army” under matters of urgent national importance, emphasised the need to conduct an inquiry into the dastardly act.
Chinda noted that the students were murdered for protesting a prolonged power and water outage on the school’s campuses.
“With very serious concern, the recent killing of some students of Nassarawa State University, Keffi by men of the Nigerian Army is condemnable.
“Students of the university had on Monday 25th February, 2013 embarked on a peaceful demonstration to protest the non-provision of water and electricity supply to their campus by authorities of the school, in the course of which road block was mounted by the students.
“Following this, some soldiers who were drafted in to bring the situation under control, began shooting sporadically, beating up and manhandling as well as throwing tear gas canisters indiscriminately at the protesting Students.”
The lawmaker also frowned at the “deployment of Police or military men armed with life ammunition to university campuses in the guise of quelling student protests,” saying it is “clearly wrong and unacceptable.”
“The present case is one too many in cases of extra judicial killings by men of the Police and the Armed Forces that daily take place in University campuses and several parts of the country against defenceless, innocent students and citizens and is thus very highly condemnable”.
The lawmaker, who expressed concerns over the incident, noted that the development has led to very serious tension within the university community and its environs, as so many people are reported to have deserted their homes for fear of further attacks by men of the Nigerian Army or reprisal attack by the students.
“The situation is already generating ill feelings and bad blood between the university students and the Army,” he said.
“If it is not immediately checked, it could lead to further escalation of violence in the area and the area could be completely cut off from other parts of Nassarawa State.
In its resolution on the motion, the House condemned the deployment of soldiers to quell a peaceful protest by students and indeed civilian populace.
It also urged Nasarawa State Government to, as a matter of urgency, take very urgent steps to ensure security of lives in the affected areas while Police investigations
are ongoing. The joint committee is expected to report back to the House within two weeks for further legislative action.
