Jega : Students set provost’s house ablaze, vandalise vehicles over alleged N23m extortion

Students of the College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega, Kebbi State, set the residence of Provost Haruna Saidu-Sauwa ablaze and vandalized his vehicles in a violent protest.

The unrest was triggered by accusations that the college management extorted N23 million from students in relation to index registration fees for 250 graduating students.

A source within the institution explained that the dispute arose from a newly introduced public health programme, initially aligned with the Reproductive Health and Public Health Association of Nigeria.

The programme was later merged with the Environmental Health Department to meet certification requirements, leading the college to demand an additional N65,000 from each student for index registration, beyond the N30,000 they had previously paid.

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Frustrated by what they described as extortion, the students resorted to violence, stoning vehicles and setting fire to the provost’s residence. College staff fled the premises before security personnel intervened.

Confirming the incident, Nafiu Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Kebbi Police Command, said more information would be disclosed after the Divisional Police Officer in Jega submits a detailed report.

The incident has cast doubt on the institution’s commitment to ethical practices, raising questions about its ability to uphold its mission of training competent healthcare professionals.