The management of the Plateau State University Bokkos has suspended
three security operatives of the university for what it described as
“negligence of duty” following the recent invasion of one of the female
hostels during which a student was killed with a female student left
unconscious after being raped.
The management pointed out that if the affected staff had raised an
alarm to the appropriate authorities while on their duty posts, the
perpetrators would have been apprehended.
This was disclosed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof.
Yohana Daniel Izam, at an expanded management meeting with the Students’
Union Government (SUG) of the institution.
DAILY POST recalls that on Sunday 9th June, 2019, suspected herdsmen
invaded one of the female hostels and raped a female student who was
left unconscious.
Also in an attempt to intervene by the security operatives, a
100-level student of Geography Department, Mr. Ugu Sheni Kimati was
killed.
Izam said, “Management of Plateau State University, Bokkos has
re-strategized and rolled out new security measures in order to
forestall any future occurrence of the ugly incident that befell the
University.
“The Management has also approved the suspension of three security personnel of the institution for negligence of duty.”
According to him, “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 don promised in addition to the training and
retraining of the existing personnel, 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 assured that the university management was
working hard to attract a Police outpost and a detachment of the Special
Task Force, Sector 5 located in Bokkos near the university to help
protect both students and staff of the institution.
He announced 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.
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 breach 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 the view of working
with it to expose any criminal elements within the community as well as
extend courtesies to the community by intervening in the provision of
some social services as the university’s finances can afford.
Contributing, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Paul
Wai and the Director, Directorate of Advancement and Linkages, Dr.
Andrew Dewan advocated for the inclusion of the University’s Chief
Security Officer in the Security Committee of Bokkos Local Government
Area and on the need to adequately train the security personnel to be
responsive to the prevailing security challenges on campus.
On his part, the SUG President, Comrade Lokrit Clement Gonap said the
students have been cooperating with the security personnel of the
University and decried the planting of tall crops within the University.
He also appealed to the management to extend hours of medical
services on the campus to attend to the health needs of the students.