…Buhari mourns
Four students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi (ATBU) were drowned on Tuesday when a bridge within the main campus of the university located in Gubi, an outskirt of Bauchi metropolis, collapsed.
According to reports, the incident, which occurred in the midnight, also left seven injured.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement on Tuesday, mourned the deaths of the students.
The President described the incident as “tragic, sad and unfortunate”.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President also condoled with the management, staff and students of the university.
It was gathered that the tragedy occured when some of the students were leaving the campus after reading overnight in preparation for exams.
It was after a downpour, which lasted for several hours.
The incident triggered a protest among the students, who blamed the tragedy on the school management for turning deaf ears to several pleas made by them on the deteriorating bridge.
A witness, who spoke in confidence, said distress calls put across to the management asking them to call for help were not responded when the incident occurred.
The source said some of her friends in school were still missing after the bridge collapsed.
The source added that they have alerted the school authorities over the weak bridge and the poor road network leading to the university, but no action was taken.
The students’ union president, Naziru Mohammed, reportedly escaped being lynched by the students, who protested the death of their colleagues.
But, the ATBU management yesterday confirmed that four of its students died following the collapse of the bridge due to a downpour that lasted several hours across the state.
The vice chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Abdullazeez, addressed a briefing yesterday.
Prof Abdullazeez was accompanied by some top management staff of the institution.
He said four of the students were confirmed dead immediately with seven others seriously injured.
Abdullazeez said the deceased comprised three males and one female, with the injured receiving treatment at the university’s medical centre.
The VC said the management immediately closed down the school in honour of the deceased, and has equally begun investigation of the incident.
“I regret to announce the death of four of our students. The unfortunate incident that led to the demise of the students occurred on Monday night at the Gubi campus of the university,” said Prof. Abdullazeez.
