‘Attempted murder’ of lecturer by UNILORIN student will put education in danger if nothing happens, says Media Watch Group
By KEMI KASUMU
In the meantime, the group has volunteered to monitor the case it described as “of physical assault and attempted murder” to its logical conclusion…
The Muslim Media Watch Group (MMWG) has expressed dismay over what it describes as the attempted murder of a female lecturer of University of Ilorin, by one of her students.
In a message to The DEFENDER signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, on Sunday, the MMWG reacted to what it said was reported in the Nigerian Press of a student in the Faculty of Life Sciences, who attacked and nearly killed his lecturer, Mrs Rahmat Zakariyyah, in her office, last Thursday.
“The unwarranted physical attack of the female lecturer Mrs Rahmat Zakariyyah featured heavy battering and pursuance of victim by the assailant”, who it said continued to beat the lecturer while trying to escape, even after she fell down knocking her head on a hard object, was a serious issue.
The MMWG continued, “Report further confirmed that the University Authorities has pledged to take all lawful actions necessary to ensure that the culprit is given deserved punishment; stating that the Vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Sulaiman Abdul-Kareem has visited the victim of the undeserved barbaric attack to sympathise with her over the unfortunate incident and assured her of the university readiness to take further necessary action it deems fit.”
According to Alhaji Ibrahim, “The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has condemned in strong terms the criminal act of the unruly student that committed the terrible attack on her Lecturer describing it as irresponsible, barbaric, animalistic and unpardonable,” the statement said.
In the strongly-worded statement issued in Ilorin on Sunday, the group called on Kwara State Commissioner of Police to ensure early prosecution of the suspect of the crime; adding that “Almighty Allah saved the life of the victim – Mrs Rahmat Zakariyyah – as she fell down while running away from her attacker and knocked her head on a hard object before she was rescued and taken to the hospital by her fellow Lecturers.”
It stated further that education would continue to be in danger if any irresponsible student, no matter his or her family background or status, could pounce of any Lecturer for whatever reason and nothing happens.
The Group also challenged all University Unions such as ASUU, NASU and SUG to be at alert and be interested in issues such as just witnessed in UNILORIN “so that such unfortunate incident would never occur again in the ‘Better by Far University'”.
Concluding its case, the Muslim Media Watch Group called on the University of Ilorin authorities to intensify its war against cultism and all other forms of crimes, which usually prompt irresponsible reaction of the nature that has happened.
In the meantime, the group has volunteered to monitor the case it described as “of physical assault and attempted murder” to its logical conclusion, in order “to ensure that criminals are ‘sent packing’ from our Institutions of higher learning and culprits punished so as to serve as deterrent to others.”
