Some masked gunmen, Friday, again raided a female hostel in the Town Campus of the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State till 6.30 a.m.
Three days ago (Wednesday), the gunmen had raided another female hostel in the Town Campus of the university, dispossessing hand sets, money and other valubales from the students.
An anonymous source said the gunmen arrived at the hostel at on Friday at 6 a.m. when most students were awake and operated till 6.30 a.m. collecting handsets, money and other valuables from the students.
“They even collected hand sets from some porters, though the security men were not on hand to stop the hoodlums,” he noted.
The source alleged that the gunmen might have been secret cultists were heard saying “We are looking for one Peace and one Gift. They cannot kill one of us and then we will leave them alone.”
He observed that “The insecurity of the school could attributed to the porous nature of the school. There is a big ravine behind the female hostel and the gunmen usually sneak into the school through that route. Apart from this, the school security men are not always handy to quell the rampaging but gun-totting hoodlums.”
The gunmen had on Wednesday, dispossessing students of money and other valuables.
The incident, which occurred at W6 Hostel on the campus, is coming few days after some female students were attacked by bandits in one of the hostels.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the hoodlums went from room to room dispossessing students of their belongings.
A source on the campus, who pleaded anonymity, said that although no life was lost during the incident, some of the students sustained injuries in their bid to escape.
“Some hoodlums broke into W6 Hostel at the University of Uyo, Town Campus at about midnight when the students were sleeping.
“They carted away property such as phones, laptops, jewellery and cash. No life was lost but some of the affected students sustained minor injuries.
“We also learnt that some female students were attacked the previous day in one of the hostels,” the source added.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, Macdon Odiko, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, said the Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, had ordered deployment of policemen to all the hostels.
Mr Odiko said that Ahmed had held a meeting with Professor Enefiok Essien, the Vice Chancellor of the University, and the management of the university with a view to finding lasting solution to the frequent invasion of hostels by bandits.
“The command is aware of the incident that occurred at the University of Uyo, and the commissioner of police has ordered deployment of officers to all hostels in the campuses.’’
Mr Odiko advised students to go about their normal activities, assuring that the command was committed to ensuring peace and security on the campuses of the institution.
Meanwhile, the university has convoked a security meeting on Friday, August 2 to find lasting solution to the menace.
