UI AND ARMED ROBBERY: WHO IS PUTTING A STOP TO THIS?

I know is it a bitter pill to swallow for many of us. We all find it hard to believe that the first and best university in Nigeria has become a playing ground for thieves. For a premier university as ours to be raided by armed robbers is a slap on its management face. A place that is supposed to be ‘Home away from Home’ for her students has now turned ‘ Far away from Home’.

In just a month, there have been three cases of armed robbery in two halls of residence. The first one happened on 12th July, 2019, at the most populated female hostel (Awo hall). It was reported that phones, money, laptops and other valuables were collected from the students. A female student due to fear jumped down from her floor and has to be rushed to the hospital. The second happened about two weeks after the first in the same female hall. Although the latter was said to be a false alarm, but who knows? And now, on 11th August, 2019, the post graduate hall, Abdusalam hall (New hall) was attached.

On account of the two incidents, what if the students were raped? What if someone was murdered? What if the girl who jumped down from her floor broke her legs? What if the phones and laptops that we’re collected contained their life most vital information? What if the two people who were stabbed recently lost their lives? Just imagine all the “what ifs” that might come to be.

In order for these what ifs not to continue, the management should stop giving excuses and making promises, but rather begin to act. They should make provision for armed security men who will patrol the school at night. There should be security personnel in all the halls of residence especially at night. Not only should these, provision be made for mounting of gates and adequate fencing of all the halls.

The hall wardens should ensure that all the student in their respective halls have valid ID cards and not just paper as in the case of idiates. The portals should ensure serious searching of students before entering into the hostels. Visitors should also be searched and made to drop valid ID cards and not ATM, before gaining entrance into the halls. The person being visited should be asked to pick his or her visitor from the portals lodge, to ensure that the visitor has not come to do something else.

We want the school management to see this as a wakeup call and spring into action immediately. Our security is a collective effort and we pray that God protection will be upon us.