The Nigerian Army has denied shooting or killing any student of Nasarawa State University on Tuesday during a protest by the students over scarcity of water.
Army spokesman, Col Yerima Mohammed, stated this, yesterday, during a press briefing in Abuja.
According to Army spokesman, the 177 Guards Battalion that patrols routes in the state for security reasons did not shoot any student while the protest lasted.
"Our soldiers were not involved in any shooting so we could not comment while live ammunitions were used to quell the riot," he said.
Stating the Army side of the incident, Attahiru said the students "came out in en masse and barricaded the Keffi- Akwanga expressway, which is part of the 177 Guards Battalion patrol routes. This road was blocked with logs of woods and burning tyres, which hampered vehicular movement, leaving travelers stranded for hours and numerous vehicle damaged by the violent crowd. It was also reported that the irate crowd were looting travelers' belongings and throwing stones, bottles and metal objects at the men."
However, it was believed that the protest was hijacked by some hoodlums and cult members who are students of the university."
Speaking further, he said, "as a result, the violent crowd burnt down two vehicles at the Police Station located across the Campus and seized a tanker loaded with fuel with the intention of burning down the whole station.
Meanwhile, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura has ordered the immediate suspension of the General Manager (GM) of the State Water Board, Mallam Safiyanu Ibrahim, pending the conclusion of investigations.
This is coming on the heels of the recent protest embarked upon by the students, Nasarawa State University Keffi which resulted in the loss of lives and disruption of free flow of traffic along Keffi-Abuja-Lafia road, Nasarawa State.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Public Affairs, Sani Mairiga quoted Al-Makura saying "Consequently, the State Governor, UmaruTanko Al-Makura, has approved the suspension of the General Manager (GM) of the State Water Board, Mallam Safiyanu Ibrahim, pending the conclusion of investigations."
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