Police arrest 14 suspects after student stabbed to death over football game

The police have arrested 14 suspects for their alleged involvement in a brawl in which a university student was stabbed to death in Gombe State.

Abdussamad Musa was a 200-level student of Criminology and Security Studies at the Federal University Kashere in Gombe State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Buhari Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, that four other suspects were at large but efforts were being made to arrest them.

Mr Abdullahi said the incident, which resulted from a heated argument over football, happened off campus on Tuesday night. He said the knife used in the incident was recovered as an exhibit.

He advised the youth and residents of the state to be mindful of their discussion in public, adding that any discussion that is done in a tense atmosphere should be avoided.

“Football is meant to entertain and not to take the lives of anyone, so we should avoid arguments that may create chaos and cause conflicts, especially amongst youths,” he said.

The spokesperson of the university, Janet Ibrahim, told NAN that the incident occurred on Tuesday around 7 p.m.

Mrs Ibrahim said the incident was a result of a minor disagreement between two groups after a football match off campus.

She said initially the disagreement was resolved amicably, but the other group later attacked the compound where the deceased lived and they engaged in a fight.

“This resulted in the stabbing of the deceased on his neck with a knife, and he was rushed to the general hospital, Kashere, where he later died due to excessive bleeding as confirmed by a medical doctor,” he said.

She said that the parents were invited on Wednesday and took part in the funeral service for the deceased around 2 p.m.

According to her, normalcy had since returned to the affected community.

Mr Ibrahim said that the institution does not have control over what happens off campus, but was collaborating with security agencies and community leaders to protect students staying off campus.

(NAN)