Enough is Enough: Thugs, Bribes, and the Betrayal of Our Students by the APC-Led Gwagwalada Administration

Today, history will remember yet another dark day in the struggle for justice, integrity, and the future of education in Nigeria.

The Comr. Muhammad Jamiu Tobi led Students' Union Government (SUG) of the University of Abuja and few proud alumni, embarked on a peaceful protest at the university’s mini-campus, decrying what can only be described as an unconstitutional land grab by the APC-led Gwagwalada Local Government Council.

 Their objective was clear: to peacefully resist the illegal conversion of university land—land legally protected under the University of Abuja Establishment Act of 1988—into what is now being turned into a beer parlor and commercial hub, with no regard for institutional ownership, public accountability, or the educational integrity of our beloved university.

What unfolded, however, was not the reaction of a government open to dialogue or democratic engagement.

Instead, these peaceful student protesters were met with brutal violence allegedly orchestrated by Barrister Bucknor, a University of Abuja alumnus and a disgrace to the noble legal profession. The same Barr Bucknor, already known in student circles for attempting to bribe the SUG president with ₦500,000 and a promise of two commercial shops to “look the other way,” reportedly led a gang of armed thugs to disrupt the protest violently.

Eyewitnesses recount that Barr Bucknor did not just sponsor the attack—he actively led it. In a shocking and criminal act, he allegedly gave direct orders to his thugs to “kill” protesting students. These thugs, wielding cutlasses, machetes, and other weapons, unleashed terror upon the students who were merely addressing their peers and expressing their constitutional rights.

At least six students have been hospitalized following this shameful act of state-sponsored violence. Even worse, the SUG Secretariat was vandalized, and students' properties looted and destroyed. According to multiple accounts, Gwagwalada policemen stood idly by—or worse, actively supported the thugs—having reportedly been paid by Barr Bucknor to shield his attackers while they wreaked havoc on the student community.

Some students were unlawfully arrested and detained, their only “crime” being their resistance to the illegal seizure of educational land meant for academic advancement—not for beer parlors and political profiteering.

As a proud graduate of this institution and a journalist committed to truth and justice, I was myself nearly killed during the attack. Gun-wielding assailants, allegedly under the command of Barr Bucknor, targeted not only student leaders but anyone who stood in defense of the university’s land and its future.

This is beyond a land dispute. This is a coordinated attack on education, on democracy, and on the very soul of our youth.

Let it be known today that students are not cowards. Let it be known that we will not be intimidated by bribes, bullets, or betrayal.

I call on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to immediately begin disciplinary proceedings against Barr. Bucknor. His actions, if found to be true, constitute gross professional misconduct and a fundamental violation of his oath as a lawyer. He is unfit to continue practicing under the noble banner of the NBA.

To all Nigerian students—especially those at the University of Abuja—the time to act is now. Go and get your PVCs. The power belongs to us, and we must ensure that those who threaten our education, safety, and future are removed from public office through the ballot.

The APC-led administration in Gwagwalada must be held accountable. Our generation will not inherit institutions built on violence, corruption, and betrayal. Enough is enough.