By Jude Atupulazi
The atmosphere in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been that of uneasy calm in the aftermath of an attack by two suspected Fulanis on two students inside the University Campus last Sunday.
According to reports, the two victims who are twins, are Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) students, a national A-Level Examination Body in Nigeria approved by the Federal Government which enables direct entry admission into 200-level in over 60% of Nigerian Universities.
According to the father of the victims, Dr Val Iyke Oliobi, his twins were studying in a hostel, inside the university called St Theresa’s, in the night of Sunday, February 15, and decided to go buy some food within the campus. After passing the University Primary School Area around 8.49pm, the daughter, Chimazokam Oliobi, noticed a man coming behind them with a machete and whispered this to her brother.
The man, suspected to be Fulani, was moving towards the girl and her brother asked her to run while he went to block off the suspect. It was then that another figure of a man emerged from the bush and squared up against the boy, while the other one started pursuing the girl who was running.
The one with the boy then attacked with a machete and in trying to evade the blow, the boy raised his hand which held his phone. The machete landed on the phone and cut it almost into two and also cut off the thumb and another finger of the boy who then fell inside a gutter.
All this time the girl was shouting for help which triggered a stampede from students studying at the nearby classrooms. The stampede forced the assailants to disappear into the bush. The boy’s sister kept shouting for help and it was almost three hours, according to her father, that one Hausa keke driver arrived and took the boy to the hospital where a surgery on the severed fingers was expected to be performed last Wednesday to see if they could still be successfully attached to the boy’s fingers.
Oliobi thanked the school Management for their care and concern since the attack, especially the Vice Chancellor and the Dean, among others. He said the Dean had been to see his kids while the VC sent a representative.
Meanwhile the Management of Unizik led by the Dean, Students Affairs, were at the hospital the next morning to see the victims, followed by the Students Union leadership.
‘Today, (Tuesday) the CMD, Unizik Campus, came and referred my son to the Plastic Surgery Department to see if his fingers can come to life again,’ Oliobi said.
The Students Union Government (SUG), led by Esther Chiamaka Okoro, Chief Press Secretary (Internal Communication and Documentation) to the SUG President, in a press release, said it was with deep concern that they got the report that a JUPEB student, was violently attacked and stabbed by unknown individuals.
‘Upon receiving this distressing news, the Union immediately paid a visit to the student at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku, where we also met with the parents.
‘The Union, led by the SUG President, Giant Rotr. Comr. Ochuba Chukwusom; the Financial Secretary, Casapinto; and the Chief of Staff, Kems Jnr.; extended support to the family to assist with urgent medical treatment. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chijindu and the family during this difficult time.
‘In light of this incident, we urge all students to remain vigilant, avoid isolated areas, and immediately report any suspicious activity to campus security. Your safety is paramount, and, together, we can help prevent such unfortunate events.
‘The Students’ Union remains committed to the safety, protection, and welfare of all students and will continue to provide support and closely monitor the situation until full recovery,’ the statement read.
Attempts by Fides to contact the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Kingsley Ubaoji, to react on the security situation in the university initially came to nought as he neither replied a chat on his Whatsapp nor picked a call via same platform. But later, in the evening, he called to say the incident did not occur within the school and promised to call back later which he did not.
When the VC, Prof Bond Stanley Anyaehie, was earlier contacted for his comments, he told Fides to get in touch with the appropriate quarters.
Meanwhile people wonder how such hoodlums could be operating with ease inside the university, seeing it as a serious development that could have far reaching consequences.
