By Daniel Tyokua
The Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Prof Abdulrasheed Na’allah, has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello to provide the enabling environment for the institution to tackle insecurity.
He asked the minister to direct the Department of Development Control to remove most of the illegal buildings on the campus.
Na’allah explained that the University was a national symbol of unity that should be obeyed and respected by all.
The VC, who spoke during an assessment visit by some officials of FCT Department of Development Control, regretted that some parts of the school land have been allocated to people by communities surrounding the institution, which he said was against the law establishing the school.
“This University is in the nation’s capital where everybody has respect for it, as a pride of the country, so no need for unconventional activities to be going on in the campus that is why we want the FCT Administration under the minister to come to our help.
“We are facing horrible things that are occasioned by activities of unknown people that live on the school land.
“One of the highest challenges is encroachment which is a national emergency because we are not in normal times especially the issue of insecurity in some parts of the country.
“What we have today in this University if not resolved will ignite a crisis in the future. We are in serious trouble because all sorts of people live on the campus, utilizing the land who have no respect for the University or the tradition. It has even gone further that bandits are coming in, they have taken over most of the land, where we have our students being attacked.
“We have a lot of horrible things. The school lives in fears because of these occupants who have no regard for the school,” he said.
On his part, the Chief Security Officer of the University, Ibrahim Burga, said the campus was porous which paves way for insecurity to thrive.
His words: “Our challenges here range from kidnapping, armed banditry and other related offences, we have a situation whereby in the day time, three of our female students were kidnapped inside this campus.
“We have intelligence reports of some armed bandits around our hills, security agencies were informed of this development,” he said.
