Paul Osuyi, Asaba

DELTA State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare on Monday warned herdsmen to steer clear of the state-owned university campuses or be ready to lose their cows.

Muoboghare said any cow found on campus would be impounded, branded and become the seed of animals for the proposed cattle ranch soon to be established by the Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture.

The commissioner handed down the warning while inspecting part of the perimeter fencing of the Anwai campus of Delta State University (DELSU) that was allegedly destroyed by marauding herdsmen.

Herdsmen were said to have invaded the campus early on Sunday when they allegedly used their cows to destroy the said fence.

A visibly angry Muoboghare condemned the invasion, describing it as provocative act, which will no longer be tolerated.

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He said the marauding herdsmen, in the guise of searching for grasses for their cows had gone out of their way to destroy government property.

The commissioner stated that the activities of the herdsmen were coming at a time when the various ethnic nationalities were agitated over the now suspended RUGA settlement policy.

While commending staff and students for their peaceful disposition towards the invasion and destruction of government property, he called on them to always be vigilant.

Muoboghare used the opportunity to advise all illegal occupants and developers of the university land to, as a matter of urgency, vacate same as the university authorities had been given a marching order to reclaim their land.

Conducting the commissioner round the damaged fence, the Provost of the Campus, Prof. Patrick Oghuvbu said he had already made a formal report to the security agencies and appealed to the state government to beef up security around the university campuses.