Students at the College of Health Sciences and Technology in Jega, Kebbi State, on Thursday, set fire to the residence of Provost Haruna Saidu-Sauwa in response to allegations of extortion involving N23 million in fees.
During the unrest, the students also vandalized the provost’s vehicle.
The chaos erupted after claims surfaced that the college administration demanded an additional N65,000 from each of the 250 graduating students for index registration. This charge was in addition to the N30,000 they had already paid.
The extra fee was reportedly tied to a new public health program that was originally connected to Reproductive Health and the Public Health Association of Nigeria.
An insider revealed that the program was later merged with the Environmental Health Department to secure certification, a move the management used to justify the additional charge.
Deeming the fee an attempt at extortion, the students retaliated by throwing stones, damaging property, and ultimately setting the provost’s residence ablaze. Reports indicate that staff members fled the campus before law enforcement arrived to restore order.
Nafiu Abubakar, Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Police Command, confirmed that further details would be available once the Divisional Police Officer in the Jega local government area completes preliminary investigations.
