Some youths from Amassoma, the host community to Niger Delta University (NDU) located on the Wilberforce Island have reportedly killed a final year student identified as Francis Palowei from the Social Science Education Department of the institution at a sand dump in the area over N500 ‘levy.’
A resident of the community, who spoke to Daily Trust on the condition of anonymity, said the sand dump is a popular spot where students often go to relax, socialize and climb the height of it for fun.
He said some youths of the area, seeing the concentration of students around the sand dump, took it upon themselves to levy any students that come to that spot to relax, especially those that want to climb to the top.
He said on Monday evening, the student went to the spot with some of his friends and was heading to the top of the dump when some youths demanded N500 instead of the “regular N150 levy.”
An argument was said to have ensued after which the youths invited others, including a notorious cultist, to attack Palowei.
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He described the student, who was a native of Obrigbene town in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, as a promising young man with a bright future, adding that his murder had left his family, friends, and the entire university community in mourning.
It was also gathered that the deceased’s father is a high ranking police officer.
The Public Relations Officer in the Niger Delta University, Mr Ndoni Igezi, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, described it as unfortunate, stating that police were already on the matter to curtail any escalation.
He said, “The sand dump is located at the end of the community. Though the owner of the dump is not charging any fees from it, some youths in the community normally collect N150 to allow people climb to the top to have fun.”
Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, ASP Musa Muhammed, said the Commissioner of Police had already deployed additional security personnel to the area to restore calm and orderliness.
He also stated that police were on the trail of the suspected killers.
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