The European Union (EU) has awarded scholarships to 142 Nigerians through its flagship Erasmus+ programme.

During a pre-departure orientation in Abuja on Thursday, Samuela Isopi, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the scholarship recipients will begin their studies in September 2024.

She said the programme allows students to study for 12 to 24 months at a minimum of three different universities in various countries.

Isopi said the pre-departure orientation was designed to help the recipients leverage the opportunities provided through the scholarship.

“The 142 Nigerian EMJMD awardees are among the initial batch of beneficiaries, announced by the organisers of the programme in Brussels. The number is likely to increase. Most awardees will start their Erasmus plus journey in September 2024,” she said.

“The pre-departure orientation aimed to provide the recipients with hands-on tips on how to make the best of the immense opportunities inherent in the prestigious scholarships.

“The programmes will run for 12-24 months, with each beneficiary studying in at least three different universities in as many countries within and outside the EU during the period.”

Isopi said the postgraduate programmes for which the scholarship is awarded will cover several advanced fields.

She said this includes renewable power systems, chemical innovation, public health, bio-refinery, marine environment, soil science, sustainable engineering, and shipping.

The ambassador said the students will receive a joint master’s degree from the consortium of universities involved in their chosen programme after successful completion of their programmes.

Originally established by the EU in 1987, the Erasmus programme aimed to foster closer cooperation between universities and higher education institutions across Europe.

Over time, it has expanded into Erasmus+, encompassing a broad framework for transnational cooperation and mobility in education, training, youth, and sport across Europe.

At 142 recipients for 2024, Nigeria retains its number one spot among beneficiaries of the EU postgraduate scholarships in Africa for the sixth year.

The country also retains its place among the top five recipient countries globally.

The authorities of the University of Benin on Thursday shut down academic activities in the institution indefinitely.

The university in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, attributed the decision to the refusal of the students to shift grounds on their demands.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the students on Wednesday took to the streets, blocking the ever-busy Benin-Ore Highway to protest weeks of power outages on campus.

The students, who had two weeks until their first-semester examination, said the situation was severely affecting their preparation. The students also called for a downward review of transport fares by the UNIBEN shuttle service, which was increased with effect from July 1.

NAN reports that the university was thrown into a blackout by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) following the inability to reach an agreement over contentious electricity billings.

The monthly bill was said to have jumped from about ₦80 million to between ₦200 and ₦280 million, forcing the university to resort to power generators as well as rationalisation of power on the two campuses and hostels.

When a NAN correspondent spoke with the protesting students amidst heavy rainfall, they were hellbent on continuing the rampage unless their demands were met. But in the notice of closure made available to NAN, Ehanire described the students’ demand for a 24-hour supply of electricity as unrealistic.

“Following the insistence of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four hours supply of electricity and more, considered unrealistic by the University’s Senate, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely.

“Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all the relevant units of the University are to take note and comply.

“However, non teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shut down,” said the university’s spokesperson.

A group of suspected cult members disrupted an exam to lynch a final-year student at the Tai Solarin University (TASUED) in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state.

The murdered victim has been identified as Fabiyi Hammed Ayinla, a 400-level student of History and Diplomatic Studies at TASUED.

Fabiyi is also said to be the general governor for TASUED’s College of Humanities and a student union government (SUG) executive.

A witness told TheCable that commotion broke out at the campus of the state-owned tertiary institution on Wednesday when men dressed in white shirts invaded the institution’s ETF exam hall during a session at 3:30 pm.

The armed men were said to have dragged out Fabiyi, beat the student with stones, stabbed him, and left him unconscious in the bush.

Students of TASUED’s history department were having their final paper and “sign-out” tradition at noon when the attack happened.

A video surfaced showing colleagues of the now-deceased final-year student watching in shock from a distance as the assault unfolded.

In the video, men numbering up to 15 are seen in a cluster, with one dragging the victim by the leg and kicking him as he writhed in pain.

Student witnesses say campus security operatives only arrived at the crime scene after the cult members had already fled.

It is gathered that Fabiyi was subsequently rushed to the hospital where he would later be confirmed dead.

Omolola Odutola, the Ogun state police spokesperson, told TheCable that Fabiyi died from his injuries at around 6:00 pm the same day.

“The Igbaba Division rivalry cult killing was reported to have taken place on 03/07/2024 at about 15:30hrs,” the police officer said.

“Fabiyi Hammed Ayinla, who is a member of the Eiye confraternity, was attacked by a group of about six young men, identities unknown, believed to be members of the Aye confraternity, while he was taking his final exam inside the lecture hall.

“The assailants forcibly removed Fabiyi Hammed from the exam venue to a secluded building away from the exam area, where he was brutally assaulted with dangerous weapons, leaving him severely injured.

“He was found barely conscious by the CSO (campus security outfit) and promptly taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention.

“Detectives were mobilised to the hospital, where they documented the victim’s condition and later proceeded to the crime scene.”

Odutola said law enforcement authorities are raiding potential hideouts of the cult members to apprehend the perpetrators.

The officer said the deceased was transferred to the morgue for examination while a police investigation commenced.

Babatunde Odugbesan, TASUED’s deputy registrar, has suspended the institution’s ongoing second-semester exams.

“Students are assured of their safety and are advised to remain calm while investigations ongoing get to the root of the cultist attack,” he said.

TASUED has had a disturbing history of cultist activity.

In mid-2023, TASUED was shut for two weeks after a third-year undergraduate was killed in a clash between students and a host community.

Sources had told TheCable that there was pre-existing tension between the students and the Imaweje community over cultism allegations.