The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has challenged security agencies to invest more in intelligence-gathering to protect staff and students of the University of Maiduguri.
The academic union disclosed this during its National Executive Meeting where they urged the federal government to do more in providing equipment and adequate funding to protect Universities from violence being wreaked by miscreants.
The university has recently faced with series of suicide attacks.
In June, a coordinated suicide bombings at the University and Zannari community in Maiduguri, Borno State killed no fewer than 16 persons. It was gathered then that the bombing started around 10p.m.
Mallam Usman Chiroma, a resident of Mairi near the university said: “The noise of the explosions coming from the university woke us up from the sleep around 10p.m. Few minutes after, the explosions spread to other parts of the town, especially around London Ciki.”
Mallam Abdullahi Cirani, another resident, who lives around Gidan Dambe, corroborated the claim. He said: “We heard about 10 explosions coming from around the university. The explosions led to a stampede in London Ciki, as residents abandoned their homes for fear of being affected.” He said most residents in the densely-populated London Ciki slept in the open, near the Gwange Cemetery for fear of being attacked.
Meanwhile, Governor Kashim Shettima, during his assessment of different scenes of multiple suicide attacks at the university, approved the immediate release of N50 million for ongoing digging of trenches behind the university, covering 27 kilometres. The area was said to be used by the terrorists to access the school.
One of the casualties of the attacks was Professor Aliyu Mani of Veterinary Medicine Department, who died while performing his early morning prayer in one of the mosques that was attacked by suicide bombers.
