How University Students Become Victims Of Plateau Attacks

LAST Friday, a band of bandits, sometimes known as terrorists, broke into the town where Plateau State University is situated in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the state and started terrorizing the students. This gave the already terrifying attacks on Plateau State communities a terrifying new dimension.

Prior to this, the marauders had invaded a community in the Mangu Local Government Area, killing roughly fifteen people—mostly women—in a savage manner. Additionally, minors were slain.

While some sources claim that the two attacks happened at the same time, another narrative states that the terrorists fled to Bokkos after terrorizing the Mangu people.

According to a source close to the local government that the marauders broke into Bokkos early on Friday, namely at 4:20 a.m., and proceeded to open fire for a few minutes to signal their arrival.

The hunters and vigilantes who attempted to fight off the attack were overwhelmed by them.

The insider went on to say that before the assailants fled, they managed to kill five locals and damage a good number of properties. They then returned a few hours later to attack an off-campus hotel near the university.

She brought up the fact that students, both male and female, were running for their life during the more than hour-long siege of the off-campus dormitory punctuated by occasional shootings. She continued by saying that numerous pupils had injuries of varying severity while attempting to flee.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 400-level student, reported that the event happened at the student hostel, which is located outside of the university's grounds. He also added that a 200-level computer science student was shot and killed in her room during the attack.

“That night, we heard a lot of gunshots. We saw one of our students dead on the ground and the body was taken to the school premises for everyone to see. While they were carrying the dead bodies around the school, some of the students got angry and started destroying the university properties.

“When the military came, the students started shouting that they don't want them within the school premises. They were annoyed because the military was nowhere to be found when a female student was killed early that day.

“They, however, chased the military to Maikatako. But on their way back, they met the Fulani where another confrontation ensued and in the process, another student was killed. They later invaded the university campus, but the military later returned to chase them away.

“The university is not fenced at the back. There have been series of incidents where hoodlums came into the female hostel to rape them, apart from the rampant cases of kidnapping. The state government needs to come to our aid. The issue of insecurity is becoming too rampant.”

Spurred by the unfortunate turn of events, the university administration vehemently condemned the occurrence and subsequently announced a two-day mourning period for the students' deaths in a statement issued by its registrar, F. Ayube.

“Unfortunately, the enemies of the university and the state launched a dastardly attack, leading to the loss of our dear student. The vice-chancellor and the entire management convey their condolences to the family of the deceased, the student body and the university community.

“The university authority has, therefore, declared a two-day mourning period on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, 2024 and rescheduled all the examinations slated for the period.”

According to a variety of other students and the university's administration and Governor Caleb Muftwang, who is currently visiting the campus, should address the issue of insecurity in the local government and implement security measures that would ensure the safety of people and property, particularly in the campus community and its surroundings.

They also lamented the university campus's permeability and accessibility from several directions. They assigned the state government the responsibility of building perimeter fencing and closing off all unauthorized entry points.

However, in contrast to the previous assertion that just one student perished, the university's vice chancellor, Professor Shedrack Gaya Best, stated at the conclusion of a management-led review meeting that two students were lost in the incident. They were shot off campus, both of them. Four others had gunshot wounds; three of them received treatment and were allowed to leave the hospital, while one is still receiving care there.

Professor Best states that the university is prepared to address the persistent issue of marauder activity around the campus and communities. A series of meetings aimed at fostering trust between stakeholders, including the host communities, staff, students, and security personnel, are being planned.

Professor Best expressed sympathy to the parents of the injured and killed students, but urged everyone to be calm and behave properly while security personnel, the state government, and university administrators are actively seeking for the perpetrators of the recent incident.

In a statement written by John Agams, the university's public relations officer, the vice-chancellor counseled the students to exercise greater caution in their behavior to prevent falling prey to such incidents and to be watchful of university property and facilities.

According to him, the state government has authorized the reconstruction of damaged sections of the university perimeter fence by herders who enjoy grazing on campus, leading to confrontations with both students and security personnel.

Professor Best used the occasion to urge herder leaders to summon their followers to order in order to prevent ongoing security breaches.

The institution should have extra security measures in place, with security personnel always available to respond to emergencies, according to people who have been monitoring the pattern of attacks, even though the local government where the university is located has been in crisis for a while.

Garba Waziri, a vigilante group member, stated that the recent incident was not the marauders' first attempt to enter the campus and that students, particularly those who lived in the nearby towns, were often afraid of being attacked.

“There are several instances where we have to come to the aid of these students, especially those living off campus. They are prone to attacks. There are several reported cases of rape and kidnapping. So, both the university authority and the state government have to wade in to address the developmental challenges facing the university,” he said.

Aecturer who pleaded for anonymity stated, “As long as the insecurity in the host community is not tamed and addressed squarely, the university will always be prone to attack by these elements. Therefore, both the state and Federal Government need to take drastic action to arrest attacks on communities in the local government and other parts of the state.” 

Speaking about the incident, Senator Diket Plang, who represents Plateau Central in Plateau State, stated that the attack on the local government has grown more concerning since the marauders have turned their attention against the pupils.

He asserted that because the university is a fortress of learning and needs a calm environment to thrive, the attack on it merited particular attention. He continued by saying that anything attempting to impede its efficient operation must be resisted.

Governor Mutfwang condemned the incident but emphasized that increased security and everyone's safety in the area would require cooperation between the security services, students, community leaders, and university administration.

The governor gave assurances to the public, especially the students, about the government's commitment to protecting people's lives and property.

The governor asked the public to maintain their composure in the face of the tragedy, saying that the government is committed to finding and punishing those who are responsible for the horrific acts. The governor specifically reassured students of the government's commitment to protecting lives and property.

The university community is still very afraid since several of the students who fled due to the incident last Friday have not returned.