Students of the College of Health Sciences and Technology in Jega, Kebbi State, have set fire on the residence of the college Provost, Haruna Saidu-Sauwa, following allegations of extortion involving N23 million in fees.
The students also vandalized the provost’s vehicle during the unrest.
The uproar was sparked by claims that the college administration demanded an additional N65,000 from each of the 250 graduating students for index registration. This charge came on top of the N30,000 they had already paid. The extra fee was allegedly linked to a newly introduced public health programme that was initially affiliated with Reproductive Health and the Public Health Association of Nigeria.
According to a source within the college, the programme was later merged with the Environmental Health Department to secure certification, which management cited as the reason for the additional charge.
Alleging that the fee was an attempt at extortion, students lashed out by throwing stones, damaging property, and ultimately setting the provost’s residence ablaze. Staff members reportedly fled the campus before law enforcement agents arrived to restore order.
Kebbi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed that more details would be available after the Divisional Police Officer in Jega local government area of the State has completed preliminary investigations.
