Students at the College of Health Sciences and Technology in Jega, Kebbi State, have set fire to the residence of Provost Alhaji Haruna Saidu-Sauwa and vandalized his vehicle during protests.

The unrest was reportedly triggered by allegations that the college management extorted N23 million from students for index registration fees.

Sources indicate that the controversy began with a newly introduced Public Health program, which was merged with the Environmental Health Department to secure certification.

This merger led to an additional demand of N65,000 from each student, on top of the N30,000 already paid for registration.

In response to these claims of extortion, students reacted violently, throwing stones at vehicles and setting the provost’s residence ablaze. Many staff members fled the scene before security personnel could arrive.

Provost Saidu-Sauwa has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “fictitious” and “baseless.” He challenged those making the claims to come forward with evidence and asserted that the college operates a Treasury Single Account, restricting access to funds.

Calm has since returned to the campus following intervention by security agencies. The Kebbi State Police Command has stated that further details will be released pending a report from local officers.