FRIENDS, family members and members of the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA) community on Sunday bid an emotional farewell to 400-level Chemistry student, Habiba Ummi Lele, who was shot dead by suspected armed robbers in Nasarawa State, as fresh concerns mount over the worsening security situation affecting students in the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that Habiba was reportedly killed on Saturday when suspected armed robbers opened fire on the vehicle conveying her back to Lafia after she attended a friend’s graduation ceremony at the College of Health and Technology, Keffi. She died on the spot.
The Executive Chairman of Awe Local Government Council, Hon. Umar Abubakar Dan’AKano, and the member representing Awe North Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Hudu A. Hudu Kanje, were among dignitaries who attended her funeral prayer held on Sunday at Hon. Kanje’s residence in Kanje.
Family members, friends, community leaders and sympathisers gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects to the deceased and offer support to her grieving family during the emotional burial rites.
The tragic incident sparked an outpouring of grief across social media, with many Nigerians mourning the young undergraduate while expressing concern over the country’s worsening security situation.
Reacting on Facebook, Mujahid Saleh Saad offered prayers for the deceased and her family, writing: “We pray that Almighty Allah forgive her shortcomings, give her family, friends and the entire FULAFIA community the strength to bear this painful loss, and protect all travellers from harm.”
On Instagram, Stephiny Ugomma lamented the growing wave of tragic incidents across the country, saying, “To hear good news these days is by God’s grace.”
Another Facebook user, Tony Ocheni, decried the nation’s security challenges, posting: “The number of people being killed in Nigeria is higher than countries that are fighting wars.”
Also reacting on Instagram, a user identified as The Quiet described the security situation in Nasarawa State as disturbing, stating: “The rising cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in Nasarawa State is becoming deeply alarming. How many more innocent lives must be lost before stronger action is taken?”
Habiba’s death comes only days after suspected gunmen abducted three 100-level students of the Federal University of Lafia during a late-night raid on Sure Leaders Lodge, an off-campus student hostel in the Bukan Kwato area of Lafia.
The attackers reportedly stormed the lodge at about 8:45 p.m. on Saturday and forcefully whisked the students away, further heightening fears over the safety and security of students residing outside the university campus.
The back-to-back incidents have intensified calls by students, parents and residents for security agencies and the Nasarawa State Government to strengthen security around student communities, off-campus hostels and major roads across the state.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the robbery attack that claimed Habiba’s life, while efforts were reportedly ongoing to rescue the three abducted students.