Following the beheading of two students
at their off-campus hostel in a suspected cult-related attack, the
management of Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) has adopted security
strategies with host communities, landlords of private hostels and
traditional rulers to protect students.
Vice-chancellor of ABSU, Professor Uche Ikonne, made this known on Friday at a press conference in his office.He said that the management would
partner all the relevant stakeholders to fashion out security measures
that would checkmate cult activities in and around the institution.
Suspected cultists had on March 12
launched a reprisal attack at Chidoo hostel, hacked to death and
beheaded two students who were in their third year. They also critically
wounded a third person, who is now battling for his life in hospital.
“We are considering short and long term
measures to curb cultism,” he said, adding that the ABSU mangement under
his leadership has the capacity to rise up to the occasion and ensure
that cultists were not allowed to pose any security challenge to the
university community.
The VC said that it was possible for the
suspected cultists to kill their victims because of the location of the
private hostel in a remote place, which is about four kilometers from
the campus.
He lamented that it has become
fashionable for students to live in private hostels off-campus without
the knowledge of their parents/guardians even when there are hostels in
the campus with municipal facilities and adequate security.
Prof Ikonne stated that the same
students who prefer to take up accommodation off-campus in quest for
absolute freedom still come to the campus to read at night and by the
time they go back expose themselves to danger.
He called on parents/guardians to make
it a point of duty to know where their children/wards stay when they
return to school, adding that the African society has not degenerated to
the level where parents can’t call their children to order.
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