Few hours after the Police, deployed to restore peace in the violence-torn Southern Kaduna, confirmed that prowling gun men attacked and killed one and injured five others on Saturday in a Fulani settlement in Kaura Local Government of the state, the campus of Umar Musa Yar’Adua University Katsina State is embroiled in a religious controversy.
The management of the Katsina state owned university is said to have issued a statement restricting all ethnic and religious organisations except the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN).
According to the Police spokesman Aliyu Usman:
“The incident occurred at abut 8 p:m on Saturday leading to the death of one and injury of five others. The dead and the injured have been taken to the nearest medical center in Ganawuri, in Plateau State”, adding that we are trailing the suspects behind the attack, but so far no arrests have been made. We are however optimistic that the additional police operatives deployed in the area would fish out the culprits soon”
Sulaiman Sani Kankara, the acting dean of student affairs, signed the university internal memo. Titled “RE: Registration of Student clubs/associations”, and dated January 17, 2017, and was the resolution of the management at its 59th meeting that held on January 10.
“Participation in clubs/associations is strictly optional; as such no student should be compelled to pay any dues,” the memo read in part.
“Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) is the only religious association allowed to operate in the university.
“Duly registered departmental associations should be allowed to operate but they should observe item (i) above. The university prohibits all tribal and local government associations. As a result of proliferation of smaller sects on campus and the need to curb any tension that may arise, the management decided to recognize MSSN as the only Islamic body on campus.”
