A 25-year-old final-year student of Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere, Usman Mani Tiffi has been murdered by his friend, identified as Kamal Gumau, a 25-year-old fellow final-year student of the same school,
Tribune Online gathered that the incident occurred on Monday, 28th November 2022 at about 11 am in one of the lodges called MD Burra on Lagos Street following an altercation over who is the real boyfriend of a fellow female student.
The late Usman until his death was a Biochemistry student who was to graduate on Friday, 9th December 2022 when he was expected to have written the final paper of his academic pursuit.
An eyewitness account by one of the Students who pleaded anonymous said that “On the fateful date, there was a heated argument between the two friends over who is the real boyfriend of a female student as the two of them are laying claim to her”.
He added that “Late Usman then said that he has left the girl for him (Kamal) who warned that he should not be seen around the girl again or he will blame himself for whatever happens to him. We then told Usman to leave the area to avoid any problems”.
“Usman then went back to the room to take his belongings, as he was about to go out, we were all standing when Kamal came after him running, we didn’t know that he was holding a knife in his hand, he just rushed and stabbed him on the side three times. Usman then fell down on the ground with blood rushing”, he added.
The witness added that the students around mobilised and took him to the school clinic. “We knew that he was dead at that point but in order to avert violence by the students, the School management said that they were rushing him to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for further treatment”.
He also said that “On hearing the news, students seized Kamal and started beating him before he was rescued by the security of the school. He was bragging that his father is Police Sergent and nothing will happen to him”.
According to him, “As SUG officials, we are waiting to see what will happen, if we notice any foul play in handling the matter, we will do our own thing. We know Kamal to be a drug addict while the late Usman smokes. In fact, Kamal was drunk the previous night before the incident”.
He, however, stressed that they were best of friends before the incident, and there was no noted problems between them before the day of the incident, while he called on the School management to ensure that justice was done to assuage the family of late Usman.
When contacted, Bauchi State Police Command PPRO, SP Ahmed Wakili said that he was not in town, adding that the report had not gotten to his office as of the time he was called but promised to get back as soon as he got the report from the concerned Division.