Abuja varsity asks students, staff to vacate campus over kidnap threats

The Vice-Chancellor of Veritas University has asked all staff and students to vacate the university premises for security reasons. The instructions came on Wednesday morning after the principal officers of the university received threats from kidnappers, FIJ reports.

Bwari, where the university is located, is at the border between Kaduna and Abuja and is mostly surrounded by forests. The 16 minutes drive between Veritas University and Nigeria Law School puts the law school at risk of being attacked by armed bandits.

ASP Yusuf Mariam, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, in statements by the police stating that the FCT Police Command was reassuring residents of adequate protection of lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory.

The press release also stated that the Commissioner of Police CP. Bala Ciroma had “deployed overt and covert strategies to curb banditry and criminal activities particularly on the borders of the territory”.

ASP Yusuf however failed to reply to a message about Veritas University and the security threat posed to it by armed bandits.

The spate of kidnappings around the northern part of the country has forced many schools to shut down. An exclusive report by Leadership stated that “over 200 unidentified men suspected to be bandits were dropped by a truck in Sabon Wuse area of Niger State, a border town with Bwari, Abuja”.

The report further stated that students in different schools were sent home on Wednesday following fears of a possible kidnapping.

Some of the schools that sent their students home include De-Goopherwood Montessori School (close to Nigerian Law School), Glorious Bright School, Tundun Fulani and Asusi International School.

Attempts to reach Veritas University for comments proved futile, as the number on their website was switched off.