23-Year-Old UNIJOS Student Arrested for Killing and Burying Colleague
23-Year-Old UNIJOS Student Arrested for Killing and Burying Colleague
23-Year-Old UNIJOS Student Arrested for Killing and Burying Colleague
In a disturbing development that has shaken the academic community, the Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 23-year-old student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) for allegedly killing and secretly burying his fellow student. The shocking incident, which occurred in the Naraguta area near the university campus, has reignited conversations about the growing moral and security crisis within Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
According to police sources, the suspect, whose identity has been withheld pending investigation, lured his colleague to his residence under false pretenses before committing the heinous act. After the murder, he allegedly buried the victim’s body in a shallow grave behind his apartment in an attempt to conceal the crime. The police, acting on intelligence and pressure from concerned classmates who had reported the victim missing, uncovered the remains and arrested the suspect.
Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the incident, describing it as “a heartbreaking case of betrayal and moral collapse among the youth.” He stated that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation, adding that preliminary reports suggest the murder was linked to financial disputes and jealousy.
The case has since sparked outrage among students, parents, and civil society groups, who are demanding justice and a thorough investigation. The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of UNIJOS condemned the act in strong terms, calling it “a dark day for the institution.”
“This tragedy is not just about one student’s life lost; it’s about the loss of our collective conscience,” said the SUG president. “We call on authorities to ensure that this crime does not go unpunished.”
Beyond the gruesome nature of this crime lies a deeper societal concern — the steady erosion of empathy, discipline, and moral values among Nigerian youths. Incidents of violence, cultism, and betrayal are becoming alarmingly frequent on campuses once regarded as centers of learning and moral development.
Many educationists and social commentators believe the root causes include peer pressure, financial desperation, and exposure to social vices through the internet and social media. The growing lack of emotional and moral education in Nigerian schools has also been identified as a contributing factor to such senseless acts.
While justice must be served swiftly and decisively, there is also an urgent need for Nigerian universities to revisit their moral and counseling frameworks. Institutions must go beyond academic excellence to build character, responsibility, and emotional intelligence among students.
Parents, too, have a role to play in monitoring their children’s psychological and social well-being. Society must recognize that moral decay, left unchecked, produces monsters in academic gowns.
The murder of a UNIJOS student by a fellow student is not just another crime headline—it is a tragic mirror reflecting the disintegration of moral values among today’s youth. Justice must prevail, but more importantly, Nigerian campuses must reclaim their role as safe havens for intellectual and ethical development.
If urgent measures are not taken, such incidents will continue to stain the image of the nation’s educational system and rob society of its future leaders.
