Blood Money: Five Students Die Scrambling For Akpabio's Stolen Money

Five students were killed and several others reportedly injured during a riot by students who wanted a share of the ₦15 million distributed by the Akwa Ibom State governor Godswill Akpabio. The tragedy occurred yesterday at the Government House Uyo and the Ibom Hall where undergraduate students and unemployed graduates gathered at the instance of the state governor.

The inability of some unemployed graduates, students of the University of Uyo, Uyo City Polytechnic and Akwa Ibom State College of Education to get a share of the money led to a stampede.

Mr. Akpabio had announced a ₦10 million largesse for undergraduate students who were supposed to get their money at the Government House. His running mate in the gubernatorial election, Nsima Ekere, was billed to distribute the rest ₦5 million to unemployed graduates who converged at the Ibom Hall.

Trouble started with the rumour that organisers of the event have taken away ₦4 million out of the ₦10 million given to the students. After waiting for more than four hours for the remaining ₦6 million to be shared, the students started a protest.

The protest turned into a stampede as security agencies tried to remove them from the premises. In the ensuing scramble, gunshots were fired by the police and the protesting students responded by hurling stones at the police officers.

At Ibom Hall, a few fortunate unemployed graduates got ₦1,000 each but the rest had to run away when they heard the gunshots. Matters worsened when the protesting students were joined by others in the adjourning streets of Oron and Wellington Bassey road leading to sporadic shooting which extended into the night.

During a telephone interview, Essien Udoma, the Student Union President of the University of Uyo, confirmed that they were invited by the state governor to collect ₦10 million but people under the aegis of Concerned Students for Gosdwill Akpabio, the organisers, made away with ₦4 million.

He said seven students comprising three each from the Akwa Ibom State College of Education and Uyo City Polytechnic, and one from the University of Uyo have been hospitalised in an undisclosed hospital. He refused to say how many were killed in the riots.

In what amounts to a reaction, the state government has banned all groups from gathering at the Government House for any reason. The commissioner for Information and Social Re-orientation, Aniekan Umanah, said any such rally should be taken to the PDP secretariat.


Why am I thinking that this is some sort of ritual??? Innocent students


Source: 234 NEXT

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Posted: at 4-03-2011 09:47 PM (13 years ago) | Addicted Hero

i am reali reali 4 d state govenor, he hs just proved 2 His ppl nd 9jerians once again dt al he nd "DEY" care about is power and not the people dey r suppose 2 govern. What d hell, y did he nt use dt 15 million bucks 2 build good hospitl or nyoda infrastructure dt cld improve d life of d ppl in dt state. nd nw bcause he is lukin 4 cheap vote, in an election dt would stil b riggd, studnts who wnt free mony hv lost deir lives!!!

i think d govnor shld be probd nd d security officers b disciplined; dz 4 me is kind of a mass murder caused by a public unrest, which d akwa ibom state govnor initiated, by allowing hs campaign comitee sign up 4 dz scandalous campaign method. wt a pity..... RIP 2 those who lst deir lives.... and may mony nt kill d rest of dm. Amen!!!

Posted: at 4-03-2011 11:15 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie

rip to those dead,nigeria cant hold elections and political meetings without blood being shared,na wa oooo

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Posted: at 5-03-2011 12:15 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

all dis politician own don too much for dis country oo..wati....Everybody wan rule to be d head..nor wan work hard to be d head..

Posted: at 5-03-2011 03:28 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie

Awuuf dey kill man pikin ooo...

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Posted: at 5-03-2011 07:11 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

Na wah oh.

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Posted: at 5-03-2011 07:27 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

You see how uncivilised Nigeria is. Its only in Nigeria that stuff like this happen and nobody seem to wonder why it should happen in the first place. Now, if one may ask - the money being shared is it part of the governor's salary? who's money is it and how is it going to be accounted for? I just wonder how low people in public offices can go out of ignorance. The governor must be one of the most uninformed. What about his advisers (people whose duty it is to advice him on monetary issues), they just stoodby and watch him trash public fund. Now, how about the lives lost in this show of shame, how is he going to validate them? What if that money was invested on infrastructures in the schools for a long term benefit? For whatever reason he decided to mismanage public fund the way he did, he should be ashamed of himself. Hope he does have some dignity left, 'cos he will really need some with which to address his people on the issue of the students death. WHAT A STUPID GOVERNOR.

Posted: at 5-03-2011 08:37 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

THIS IS POOR THINKING OF HELPING MASSES, I KNOW THIS IS BECAUSE OF ELECTION.

Posted: at 5-03-2011 08:50 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

nonsense

Posted: at 5-03-2011 09:05 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

what he should have done was to tell the students that they submite there account number. they could easily pay in the money into there account,i dont really understand what they tink before planing ,useless human beings.

Posted: at 5-03-2011 10:02 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie