Pauline Onyibe 
Some youths of Amassoma Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have killed a final year student of Social Science Education of the Niger Delta University, identified as Francis Palowei, over N500 levy at a sand dump, a popular relaxation spot in the area.
A resident of the community, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the sand dump is a popular spot where students often go to relax and socialise.
He said some youths of the area, seeing the concentration of students to the sand dump, then took it up on themselves to levy any student that comes to the spot to relax, especially those that want to climb to the top of the sand dump.
He said on Monday evening, the final year student came to the spot with some of his friends and was heading to the top of the sand dump when some youths demanded N500 instead of the statutory N150, a situation that led to an argument, before the community youths went and called other youths including a notorious cultist who eventually masterminded the killing of the student.
He said late Francis Palowei, who was a native of Obrigbene town in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him, while his senseless murder has left his family, friends, and the entire University community in mourning. It was also gathered that the deceased’s father is a high ranking police officer.
A student of the Uni- versity who spoke under anonymity said she had to run out of the community as early as 8 O’Clock in the morning, adding that already the issue had generated a big protest between the community people and the students of the university, adding that the police were using tear gas to disperse protesters.
The Public Relations Officer in the Niger Delta University, Mr Ndoni Igezi, who confirmed the incident yesterday, described it as unfortunate, stating that, police are already on top of the situation to curtail any escalation.
He said: “The sand dump is located at the end of the community. Though the owner of the dump is not charging any fee from it, but some youths in the community normally collect N150 to allow people climb to the top to catch fun.”
Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, ASP Musa Muhammed, who confirmed the incident in Yenagoa, said the Commissioner of Police has already deployed additional security personnel to the area to restore calm and orderliness. He also stated that the police have launched a manhunt to ar- rest the suspected killers.
