Insecurity: UNIJOS students from Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, others stranded in hostels

By GYANG BERE, Jos

Penultimate to the outbreak of violence that perished several lives of students at the University of Jos, students from Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states from the South East and South-South are strapped at the village hospital of the institution, following the inability of their states Governors to evaluate them.

Other students who are waiting to die, particularly the visual and hearing impaired students form the Department of Special Education are currently living in despondency.

It was gathered that the condition of the students worsen on Monday as electricity which the students used for cooking was cut off, leaving them in darkness admits insecurity.

The agonizing students, who narrated their chilling and painful experiences to our reporter in Jos, described their condition as pathetic, saying they have been abandoned by their state Governors.

Sadly, the visual and hearing impaired, numbering to 17, including the physically challenged across the state were not left out as their situation is getting out of hand.

Anthony Ojuku, the outgoing President of Igbo Students Association, University of Jos lamented that some states Governors from the South East have not send delegation to evacuate their students.

“Some states have sent delegates to come and pick all their students, Enugu state send three buses to come and evacuate their students from various hostels in the institution.

“What the students needs now is evacuation. From the information we are hearing, Abia State is on the way to come and evacuate their own students but we don’t know how true it is.

“I am sad to tell you that Anambra state has not responded, Imo state is yet to respond and Eboyi state. Students from the South East are stranded here due to lack of logistics because most of the states have not send their delegations to come and pick the students.”

Ojuku explained that they are helpless and hopeless due to the fact that no one is picking their call home and the insecurity is increasing daily.

“We need government intervention to enable us evacuate our students who are living at the mercy of the attackers. We don’t have food to eat, we are just managing”.

He said the association has been in touched with the families of the stranded students and who have also expressed their dismay over the inept attitude of government.

The Public Relations Officer of the Students Union Government (SUG), Ebenezer Abadume described the plights of students as precarious due to the fact that the hostels have been deserted.

“The current security challenges has made it difficult for those who want to leave on their own. We are living In a dice situation.

“Alot of students have left and to my knowledge, Kaduna, Enugu, Ondo, Nasarawa, and Ondo states have evacuated their students.

“Some students have taken the risk of evacuating themselves but many states are yet to evacuate their students. We are living from hand to mouth, the management of the University has tried by providing some palliatives for us.” He stated.

President, Elect, Federation of Igbo Students Association, University of Jos, Boniface Elthelbert Izuchukwu, said most of the students are stranded in the institution because they have no means of returning home.

He said, “By virtue of being President, I am in charge of Students from 7 states, comprising of all the five East States including Delta and River states. Since the unfortunate incident started, alot of states have been called to evacuate their students.

“But, so far the South East has been so reluctant in their efforts, only Enugu has evacuated their students to my knowledge. Abia is currently on it way, that was what I was told, you can see some of the students stranded here and we are yet to see any vehicle.

“The other states are yet to reach out to me, they want us to write political letters; infact the whole thing has been politized. I am deeply concerned because my own state, Imo is yet to reach out, I have call my National President, I have call the SSG on students matter, I have not heard anything.”

He said, “My challenge now is, I have medical students who cannot go home, they need relief materials but that is secondary, we need security, that is our priority.

“My students who are on ground now are scared because any moment, they can get stab. You can imagine as we are here now and anybody who come with a gun, we will be at the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which is unfortunate.

“We also have special students here who are from the South East and the federal and state government is yet to put a call a across to find out how they are doing, the situation is not encouraging at all.” He stated.

A visual impired persons, who is studying Criminology in the department of Sociology, University of Jos, Chikeze Gorge said he is absolutely stranded and waiting to die.

“I am supposed to have finished my studies now, I am left with three papers and the current security threats is a setback to all students I feel very stranded. I can go home now because I don’t have money and even if they succeed in taking me to Imo state, I don’t know how I will return when the school resume.”

Diro Olakunle Micheal said the visual and hearing impaired currently in the hostel now are about 17, from Plateau, Imo, Abuja, Benue, Fanen Ayuba among others. (Daily Sun)