Vigilantes beat, kill mentally challenged Kogi varsity student

Men of a local vigilante group attached to Nana College of Health, Okpo, in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, have allegedly killed a 400-level student of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, who was said to be mentally unstable after he strayed into the school premises.

The security operatives were said to have tortured and shot dead Andrew Amehson Aziko, a final-year student they allegedly knew by name.

An eyewitness account told our correspondent that it was the second alleged extrajudicial killing in the council area in two months.

The incident, which reportedly occurred at Nana College of Health, Ibana Okpo, was first brought to public attention by Danjuma Onoja, former Secretary of Olamaboro LGA, on April 28, 2026.

Onoja wrote, “In the early hours of today, Tuesday, 28 April 2026, a life was taken wrongly at Nana College of Health, Ibana Okpo. I call on the Chairman of the Local Government to please investigate this matter thoroughly so that the perpetrators of this act are brought to book.”

Footage of the incident, also circulated in a post by Abubakar Ibrahim Idoko, shows Andrew being beaten with batons several times by the school’s security guards before he was allegedly shot multiple times in the head, abdomen, and back.

His remains have since been deposited in the morgue, pending formal identification and verification.

In the video, Andrew is heard pleading in Igala, telling the security guards to “touch his hand” before they act.

It is evident from the exchange that the operatives knew and recognised him.

He even called one of them by name.

When asked who sent him, he replied, “My father.”

One security guard retorted, “You are lying because your father is late,” suggesting he was a known face in the community.

Our correspondent also gathered that Andrew’s father, until his death, was a well-known socialite and former lecturer at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.

Preliminary accounts indicate that the deceased was a final-year student on the Anyigba campus of the university.

He was regarded as well-behaved by those who knew him, including his landlady in Anyigba, Onoja said.

He explained that the victim had mental health challenges and was brought back home from Anyigba for treatment but later escaped from a rehabilitation centre and wandered into the school before the incident, “which is putting the local government in a bad light.”

Despite his condition, Andrew was not known for any vices before the incident, residents added.

A cousin of the deceased, Monday Ujah, corroborated Onoja’s account.

“This happened in Olamaboro where we grew up, and I never heard of this kind of callous behaviour, where brothers have no sympathy for their kith and kin to the extent of killing him,” he said.

He described the act as “barbaric,” noting that Andrew had no criminal record. He also questioned the school authorities and those calling for calm, saying the management of Nana College of Health, on whose campus the incident occurred, had yet to visit the family.

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Nasir Bello Kankarofi, while providing a clearer picture of the incident, said Andrew Amehson of Okpo allegedly attempted to gain unlawful access into the school premises.

“Following a report received at the Olamaboro Division at about 10:30 hours on the said date, police operatives promptly mobilised to the scene.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that at about 03:00 hours, Amehson was intercepted by security personnel employed by the college while on duty within the premises. During the course of the incident, the individual was allegedly assaulted by the said security personnel.

“He was found unresponsive at the scene by school staff at the time of the report. He sustained severe injuries and was immediately evacuated to a medical facility, where he was later confirmed dead.

“The scene was professionally processed by police investigators, and relevant exhibits were recovered to aid the ongoing investigation,” he said.

The commissioner said homicide detectives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) had been deployed to the scene to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

He added that preliminary findings had revealed the identities of the security personnel involved, noting that they were currently at large, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend them.

Kankarofi condemned all forms of excessive use of force and mob action, stressing that private security personnel, vigilante groups, and similar outfits are not authorised to inflict punishment on any individual under any circumstance.

He urged members of the public to remain calm and allow the law to take its course, assuring that the command was committed to a thorough, transparent, and professional investigation into the incident.