Suicide bombers have again attacked the University of Maiduguri in the early hours of Monday.
Reports say that many people have been killed at the University of Maiduguri Mosque when some suicide bombers struck.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has urged the Federal Government to deploy Special Joint Task Force to stem the spate of suicide bombings within the University of Maiduguri. Comrade Samson Ugwoke, SSANU President said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.
The statement said Ugwoke spoke at the 31st National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. He said the deployment of the task force was imperative as the university had become the target of bomb attacks. Ugwoke said the incessant suicide bombings being carried out by the Boko Haram insurgents had greatly affected the peace of the ivory tower. “Lots of manpower had been lost, so there was the need for urgent protection of the university community,’’ he said.
According to him, Sambisa Forest, former hot belt of the insurgents has been cleared and now accessible. “But what concerns us most is the spate of attacks at the University of Maiduguri. It is of auspicious concern to us. “It seems that the suicide bombers are targeting that university. The university has lost a lot of manpower to terrorists of suicide bombers. “I got a letter from the university community calling on the Federal Government to set up a special task force to look after the university. “As you are aware, teaching, learning, research and community development cannot take place in an atmosphere of chaos and fear. “So, for teaching and learning to take place, calmness and peace are key. “ I appeal to the Federal Government to listen to the cry of the university community by setting up the special task force to secure the university forthwith,’’ he said.
The SSANU president said the task force should be equipped with adequate security gadgets or network in order to promptly track down the perpetrators of the act. He, however, said the fact that the security agencies were still unable to track manufacturers of bombs used by the terrorists’ years into the fight against the terrorists left much to be desired. He, therefore, called on security agencies to live up to their responsibilities by securing members of the university community in Maiduguri.
