Police hunt ‘area boys’ for killing final-year Bayelsa varsity student over N150 levy

There is outrage in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State following the stabbing to death on Monday of a final-year student of the Niger Delta University.

Community sources who spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday said the victim, Francis Palowei, was at the Sand Dump, a popular spot among the students for relaxation and socialising when some youths in the area stabbed him to death when he failed to give them N150.

Palowei, who hailed from Obrigbene community in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was expected to graduate on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, when the university would hold its next convocation.

it was gathered that men of the Nigeria Police Force had gone to the community and started searching for the perpetrators.

According to one source, who pleaded anonymity, students of the institution have also joined in the search for the perpetrators while the shock of the incident has made some students shun classes, with a greater majority attending classes.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Indoni Engezi, who confirmed the incident, told PUNCH Metro that the incident did not affect academic activities as “the university is a different community.”

Engezi said the issue affected the host community, Amassoma, and that the police were already on top of the situation.

“The owner of the sand dump does not charge any fees for using the premises, but some youths usually charge N150 from anyone who wants to use the premises”, he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, said the Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, had deployed additional manpower to the community to maintain the peace.

Mohammed said the police had launched a manhunt for the killers.