Students and staff members of the Federal University of Technology, FUT Minna, Niger State, on Monday staged a peaceful protest, accusing Governor Umaru Bago of attempting to grab the land of the university’s Bosso Campus.
SaharaReporters gathered that the demonstrators from various university unions marched through the campus, displaying placards and chanting slogans to show their opposition.
The protest was organised in response to the alleged plan by the Niger State Government to convert the Bosso Campus into a State University Teaching Hospital.
Participants stated that the property is legally owned by the Federal Government and should not be taken over by the state.
Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Bago, Leave Bosso Campus Alone,” “We Will Resist Any Land Grabber,” and “Bago, Be Aware,” signalling their objection to the alleged takeover.
During the demonstration, the Vice Chairman of the university’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ismail Loyeloke, addressed the crowd, explaining the union’s position.
“The state government has no legal right to seek ownership of the Bosso Campus,” he said.
He further called on authorities to take action, stating, “This action is unlawful and we call on relevant authorities to intervene.”
Members of ASUU and students emphasised that the protest was peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to the matter without disrupting academic activities.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Niger State Government were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The Office of the Deputy Governor confirmed he was unavailable and advised that inquiries be directed to the Commissioner for Health for clarification.
Protest organisers said the demonstration represented a collective position of both staff and students regarding the ownership of the campus.
