Protest as student ‘stabs Oyo princess to death inside Sokoto polytechnic’

Authorities of the Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, Sokoto State, have shut down the institution after an alleged student-on-student killing.

A second-year National Diploma student, Zainab Owoade, was allegedly stabbed to death by her coursemate and roommate.

The suspect, Nafeesat Yekini, reportedly ended the life of Owoade by stabbing her during an argument in their hostel.

Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto
The deceased was in the Public Administration Department of the institution until her death.

After the stabbing, Owoade was, according to reports, rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

“She was stabbed while fighting with her roommate,” a source told The Nation.

“She didn’t immediately seek medical help after the stabbing as the two continued their disagreement while Owoade was bleeding. She had lost too much blood before she was rushed to the hospital.

“Some people claimed she slumped while still fighting and was whisked to the hospital while others said she was forced to the hospital because of the quantity of blood she lost.

“But at the end of the day, she didn’t survive the injury. She was declared dead on arrival by the doctor. The police were informed immediately and they came to take her body away,” a source said.

There was palpable tension in the town following the killing last Wednesday.

According to reliable sources, the deceased, an active student union member in the institution, allegedly died from injuries sustained after being stabbed in the chest by another female student of the institution during a face-off at their hostel.

“Our school was shut on Wednesday as students were angrily protesting what they described as the shady handling of the incident by the police and the school authorities.

“The deceased has been buried without an autopsy, and we heard that the suspect had been released. There is an attempt to change the narratives of what happened and that is what we are against,” Aliu Kareem, a student unionist who is also an official of the school’s chapter of Federation of Oyo Students Union, said.

“The two of them are not just from the same Oyo State; they are also from Kishi town. The late Owoade is a princess of the town. We are still unable to unravel what led to such a fight that resulted in the death. It is baffling and we find the act a very cruel one,” Aliu added.

The decision to bury the late Owoade at a Muslim cemetery on Wednesday reportedly ignited fresh protests among students and other Sokoto residents, especially Oyo State indigenes.

According to feelers across town, the police appear to be bowing to pressure from some quarters to cover up the incident and prevent the law from taking its full course.

“I can confirm to you that no autopsy was conducted on the remains of the deceased. We are surprised to hear that the deceased’s relatives asked that she be hurriedly buried according to the Islamic injunction. This is not true.

“I can tell you that relatives of Owoade are still on their way coming to Sokoto from Kishi. It is the relatives of Yekini, who are based here in Sokoto, that are pulling strings to ensure she evades justice,” a source claimed.