Gyang Bere, Jos
Following the invasion of Plateau State University Bokkos by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen leading to the rape of a female student and the death of 100-level student, the management of the institution has approved the suspension of three security personnel for the negligence of duty.
The institution has taken drastic measures by reviewing the security architecture in of the university to avert any future occurrence of the ugly incident.
In a press statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, John Agam, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Yohanna, Daniel Izam, disclosed this during a security meeting with the Student’s Union Government (SUG) of the university.
It could be recalled that gunmen invaded the female hostel of the institution on Sunday 9 June 2019 and rape and killed Mr Ugu Sheni Kimati, a 100-level student of Department of Geography.
“Following the Sunday, June 9, 2019, invasion of one of the female hostels that led to the death of a 100-level student of Geography Department, Ugu Sheni Kimati, the management of Plateau State University, Bokkos has re-strategised and rolled out new security measures in order to forestall any future occurrence of the ugly the incident that befell the university.
“The management has also approved the suspension of three security personnel of the institution for negligence of duty. If the suspended staff had raised an alarm while at their duty posts to the appropriate authorities, the assailants would have been apprehended.
“The university promised in addition to the training and retraining of the existing personnel and to engage more hands to make up for the shortfall in order to guarantee the safety of lives of students, staff and property of the university.”
The vice chancellor said that the university management was working hard to attract a police out post and a detachment of the Special Task Force, Sector 5 located in Bokkos near the university to help protect both the students and staff of the institution.
He informed that as an interim security measure, a barbed wire fence has been provided round the female hostels while male students and visitors are prohibited from entering the female hostels.
Professor Izam further disclosed that all hostel governors will be part of the new security architecture of the university in order to try to nip in the bud, any further breaches as they would have a link with the chief security officer or other management staff of the university to report all suspicious movements and persons for prompt security action.
According to him, part of the management’s decision was to reactivate the University Community Relations Committee with a view to working with it to expose any criminal elements within the community as well as extending courtesies to the community by intervening in the provision of some social services as the university’s finances can afford.
The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Paul Wai and the Director, Directorate of Advancement and Linkages, Dr. Andrew Dewan, advocated the inclusion of the University’s Chief Security Officer in the Security Committee of Bokkos Local Government Area to adequately train the security personnel to be responsive to the prevailing security challenges on campus.
The SUG President, Comrade Lokrit, Clement Gonap, said the students had been cooperating with the security personnel of the university and decried the planting of tall crops within the university and also appealed to the management to extend 24 hour health services on campus to attend to the health needs of the students.