THE Federal Government has approved the sum of N400 million for the building of a perimeter fence around the University of Abuja.
Habib Yakoob, the University’s Head of Information made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Yakoob stated that Abdul- Rasheed Na’Allah, the Vice-Chancellor of the University appealed to the Federal Government to protect the university from bandits.
Na’Allah, according to the statement made the appeal when Murkta Galadima, Director of the FCT Department of Development Control visited the University’s campus.
He said bandits are now coming inside the campus to take over land belonging to the university.
“The truth is that this great University of ours is in trouble right now. I say this because we have all sorts of people who are living on the campus, who are using the land without respect for the environment,” Na’Allah said.
“It is worse now because bandits are coming in and taking over land both within staff residences and outside.”
The Vice Chancellor lamented that students were being attacked by the so-called bandits while the entire university community lives in fear.
“Our students are being attacked; we are living in fear of the bandits. Some of the indigenes give land to these bandits without really knowing them, some don’t even ask for permission they just take over. I can tell you that on many occasions, we have had clashes,” he said.
“They are called non-state actors. If we fail to act the future will never forgive us, this is serious and dangerous and that is why we are appealing to the Minister of FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, to assist us.”
He added that the bandits also demand money from the University whenever a developmental project is being carried out.
“We need FCT to work with us to the very end to get this campus safe,” he emphasised.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for approving about N400 million to enable the University to begin erecting a fence, adding that his administration would embark on the project between now and December.
“Whenever we want to construct any structure they attack us and many times we had to negotiate with them sometimes, they collect money from the University just to use the land of the university. I am tired of negotiating with bandits,” the Vice-Chancellor noted.
While responding, Galadima assured the University that in conjunction with the FCT Administration, the issue would be looked into with a view to resolving it.
“The rate of squatting, to encroachment and invasion so all these things are beyond this office, it has to be done with FCT administration,” he said.
“We shall meet with the university, village chiefs, Area Council Secretariat and tell them these are the challenges. Resettlement will also come in. We have already started the process. The next line is to come up with an action plan.”
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94