Nasarawa varsity making progress tackling insecurity around student communities — VC

Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, gate

The management of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, says it has recorded significant gains in the fight against kidnapping, cultism and other forms of crime in the Mararaba and Akunza communities, which house thousands of the university’s students.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mohammed Isa Kida, disclosed this on Monday during an interaction with journalists at the university’s conference hall in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

He explained that the feat was achieved following sustained collaboration with security agencies in the state, which had helped to greatly tackle security concerns in the area.

“We partnered with the security agencies including the Police, DSS, Civil Defence and the military to address the recurring cases of insecurity bedevilling communities around the university.

“The University engaged about 200 volunteer hunters and vigilantes in order to provide security assistance and intelligence gathering to the professional security agencies for prompt action. So, these efforts helped us a lot in addressing the security challenges,” the Vice Chancellor said.

He further expressed readiness to partner with journalists in the state to expose criminal elements perpetrating acts of kidnapping and cultism-related activities.

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“I am soliciting support from the media in our struggle and fight against this incessant security menace bedevilling communities around the university.

“Imagine a child is writing his exams and he is kidnapped, and ransom is demanded that not even the parents can raise the money, not even the university can pay the money,” he lamented.

Prof. Mohammed Isa Kida explained that the university decided to engage media representatives in the state because of their pivotal role in disseminating information.

He insisted that protecting students and staff from insecurity such as banditry, cultism and other criminal activities was key, adding that such negative incidents would not be allowed under his watch as Vice-Chancellor.

“I have met with virtually all the communities that the students’ quarters are situated around. We have hired vigilantes, over 150 of them, they are on our payroll. We have hired hunters, nearly 50 of them too, and other volunteers.

“So, in the school and within the school community, we have on our payroll over 200 supporters in security matters, and we are also giving them stipends. They are not really enough, but they are seriously doing that magic for us,” he emphasised.