By Ado Oyeyemi
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, and shot another person during an attack on off-campus student residences in Plateau State.
The attacks reportedly occurred around 8.40pm on Saturday in Bokkos Local Government Area, raising fresh concerns over the safety of students living outside the university campus.
A student of the institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the abduction, saying the victim had gone out with another female student when the attackers struck.
“Yes, the student was taken away by the attackers last night, and we have not seen her since then. She is staying off campus, but I don’t know her,” the student said.
The student appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted undergraduate and address the growing insecurity in the area.
A university staff member, who also requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed that the management was aware of the incident.
He described the development as the second shooting incident involving off-campus student accommodation within four weeks.
“The university is aware of a reported shooting incident in one of the off-campus student residential areas.
This would be the second such incident in four weeks,” he said.
The staff member expressed concern over the safety of students living outside the institution, stressing that although the latest attack did not happen within the university premises, their security remained a major concern to the management.
He disclosed that the administration of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Shedrack Best, had been working to provide adequate accommodation within the campus but could currently house only about 1,000 students because of financial constraints.
The university, which has a student population of nearly 20,000, was said to be engaging relevant authorities to expand its accommodation facilities and strengthen security.
The staff member also acknowledged the contributions of the university’s visitor and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, as well as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, towards the provision of infrastructure.
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Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
