Protest as three Lokoja varsity students die within 72 hours

Students of the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday protested over the death of three colleagues within the spate of 72 hours.

It was further learnt that one of the students from the Department of Geography was knocked down by a runaway car at the Felele campus while two others fell ill and lost their lives.

The students began the protest in the early hours of Friday, as they barricaded every entrance into the campus, thereby denying vehicular movements in and out of the institution.

Some of the students who spoke to Punch correspondent said that they can no longer bear the untimely death of their schoolmates.

A student identified as Hassan lamented the poor health facilities at the University.

He said, “They want us to be receiving lectures while student are dying every day. Our Felele campus is a death trap. If we are sick, they don’t attend to us because there were no medicines when you are sick. If you have malaria fever, they will give you typhoid drug. This must stop. Someone that is dead cannot read.”

Another student said in this semester alone, the school has recorded seven deaths.

“We are calling on the appropriate authorities to do the needful because things go out of hand. We are FUL to learn and because something useful tomorrow, and not to come and die,” the student said.

The school authority is yet to issue a statement at the time of filing this report.