Jos Crisis: ASSUU laments death of 2 students

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Jos, has declared that the institution lost two students and many others injured during the recent violence that took place in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state.

The chairperson, Dr Maigoro Lazarus disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the ASUU Secretariat, Permanent site of the University.

“On the evening of September 27, there was a security breach in Jos. As a follow up to this on September 28, 2018, the village hostel of the students of the University came under attack by hoodlums from Angwan-Rogo.

“The students tried to defend themselves in the absence of security men and in the process, one student was shot dead inside the hostel compound, one student is missing three students have been wounded and receiving treatment currently in hospital.

“So far, two students, one staff lost their lives and the third student, a 200 Level English Education student who was shot on Monday October 1, 2018 is currently receiving treatment from bullet wounds at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos.”

Dr. Lazarus said Prof. Emma-Emma was attacked on his way home and inflicted matches cuts, Dr. Timson Ndupuechi was attacked close to Naraguta Campus and his car bashed, James Bature was attacked at the same spot and had his wind screen smashed and narrowly escaped being lynched.

He stressed that ASUU chairperson of the branch, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, former treasurer, Dr. Bolchit Dala and two other comrades, Dr. Jimam Lar escaped death narrowly due to the smartness of the driver.

He said: “we the members of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU), are constrained to cry out on behalf of the entire University community to draw attention to the protracted security challenges facing the institution because it has now become a matter of life and death for both staff and students.

“Every day when we leave our homes to come and discharge our Civic duties, there is no guaranty that we will go back home alive.

It has become imperative to draw the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the entire world to the plight of staff and students who have suffered and are still suffering greatly from the security challenges.”

He said three campuses of the University of Jos are in Very hostil areas and said the immediate communities of Angwan-Rogo, Angwan-Rimi, Kwanan-Shagari, Gangare, Angwan-Rukuba at the slightest security breach in Jos, unleash mayhem and terror on the staff and students and destroyed the University properties.

Dr. Lazarus called on Federal Government to immediately reclaim all lands belonging to the University of Jos which have been encroached illegallyd create a permanent buffer zones around the University to guarantee security of members of the University community.

“We appeal to the Federal Government to release immediately te outstanding take-off grant due to the university since its creation over 40 years ago, to enable her develop needed infrastructure to bring her at party with other second generation universities in the country.

“The security agencies should as a matter of urgency identify the killers if the students and staff so as to bring them to justice.”