Fides Media Living the Faith
By Alexander Johnson Adejoh
Male and female students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, in Awka, Anambra State, last Friday, January 20, continued to protest to raise awareness over alleged killings of students, rape of some female students and theft of valuables by suspected hoodlums in their campus communities.
The students were seen marching around Ifite Community, demanding no further delay for government and school authorities to intervene in their situation.
At the time of filing this report, Fides discovered that some of the students who could not give reasons for the assaults, described some of the attacks as “strange happenings” and linked to cult activities.
The latest was the alleged killing of Mr Daniel Ugochukwu Ifeanyi, a young 200 level student of Mathematics Department, who was killed before his girl friend (name withheld).
The students lamented the continuous robbery of their lodges off campus at odd times, particularly from 9pm. This, they said, made students like Kennedy Ugochukwu, 300 level Law student, victims of stolen phones and other valuables.
One of the students who preferred not to mention his name, said, ‘My brother, these robbery and rape incidences have been happening for some time. We have cried for help, nothing is happening. Even sometime last year, our students came out and protested.
‘We want the government to come and save us. We don’t need much delay again. We are in pains now. We want an end to these killings and stealing of our property.
‘Many of students’ hostels in Ifite are not safe now. Some of us now spend extra to sleep in secure hotels inside town. This is bad, we want help. Let us end this menace. We are tired. Why the continuous threat to life? Why these troubles? We want government to end it.’
However, a representative of the Students Union Government (SUG), who pleaded anonymity, told Fides that they had met with the school’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) of B’ Division, Dean of Students’ Affairs, the Vice Chancellor and the Governor of Anambra State represented by the Commisioner for Homeland Affairs and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters. He hoped that the government and the school Management would soon get to the root of the menace while urging the authorities to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.
Fides also gathered that the School Management, at the time of filing this report, was still having strategic meetings to see how to end the reported robbery and attacks.