UNIABUJA Attack: Bandits Operated For Over 2hrs, Took Advantage Of Security Lapses, Says ASUU Chairman

The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIABUJA chapter, Dr Kassim Umaru, said the bandits who invaded the institution’s staff quarters in the early hours of Tuesday took advantage of security lapses at the university.

Unknown gunmen had invaded the university’s staff quarters in Giri at about 12:30am on Tuesday and kidnapped no fewer than six persons, including two children.

Umaru, while speaking to Arise Television on Tuesday, said lack of security at the UNIABUJA staff quarters made it easy for the assailants to gain access to the quarters and carry out their operation.

“As far as we are concerned, there is no security here at all because at any angle you can come in. We have the toll gate but at the back, the extreme of the location, there is no gate [and] there is no fence.

“And I think the bandits took advantage of some of these little lapses,” he said.

Meanwhile, a senior staff of the university, Godwin Okaneme, who witnessed the incident said the assailants operated for over two hours before abducting victims to an undisclosed location.

Okaneme, a lecturer at the Philosophy department, described the attack as “a well syndicated and coordinated attack and it lasted for over 2:30hrs”.

The kidnapped victims were identified as Professor Obanza, Malam Sambo Mohammed, Dr Tobit and Professor Bassey Ubom as well as his son and daughter.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command, however, said it has deployed personnel to secure the entire university community and that its men were on a search operation to rescue the abducted victims.