The University of Port Harcourt is grappling with a surge in security issues, particularly within the King Jaja hostel, where students have become targets of a string of robberies and other criminal activities. These incidents have sparked serious concerns about student safety on campus.
Blessing, a King Jaja hostel resident, shared a harrowing account of her first night there. She described how robbers attempted to steal her phone by tearing through her window. Fortunately, the phone was not within reach. Despite reporting the incident to university authorities, who swiftly repaired the window, the experience left her deeply traumatized. For a month, she resorted to sleeping on the floor, fearing a repeat attack—a fear that materialized when the same intruder returned and attempted another break-in.
In a similar ordeal, another student recounted how her phone was stolen around 2 a.m. through her window using a cassava stem. Upon reporting the incident, she was advised against charging her phone on the bed at night, an unsatisfactory response to her plight.
An anonymous source revealed an alarming incident that occurred around 3 a.m. when unidentified individuals tried to breach the hostel’s wall through the bathroom. A vigilant student noticed the wall cracking and promptly raised an alarm, causing the intruders to flee. By morning, the bathroom wall was found damaged, with no trace of the perpetrators.
Professor Owunari Abraham Georgewill, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, has taken steps to bolster security by reinforcing windows and repairing damaged walls. However, these measures have not completely deterred the robbers. The hostel residents are now calling on the university’s security team to enhance their vigilance, particularly during nighttime, when students are most at risk.
