UNIMAID Officials Storm Female Hostel For Alleged Miscreants

• • Arrest 38 students for unruly behaviour

A video has emerged on social media showing how security personnel at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) stormed one of the institution’s female hostels to 38 students for alleged unruly behaviour.

Reports said those picked up by the School’s security personnel were part of the aggrieved students who protested the increase in their tuition fee, and distressing living conditions at the University.

However, another media report quoted the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aliyu Shugaba, as denying knowledge of any increase in the institution’s school fees as alleged by rampaging students.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, those involved in the protests were mostly miscreants living around the school vicinity but are not bonafide students of the University.

Vowing that those involved would be made to face the law soon, Prof Shugaba said; ”They are claiming that we are increasing fees yet we are not supplying electricity to them. The truth is that we all know how the city of Maiduguri had been without light since January.

“Management cannot afford to give them twenty-four hours light. But we are trying our best within these trying times to do what we can to help them” the Vice-Chancellor said

He described those arrested as miscreants who started making trouble when his team of investigators went round to fish out those staying illegally on the campus and are not students.

“It is the tension of Monday evening that was carried out on Tuesday afternoon after they succeeded in instigating others in joining them to disrupt peace in the University community”, he said.

Hundreds of female students gathered on Monday and staged a peaceful protest within the campus. However, they were met with stiff resistance from security agents drafted in by the school’s authorities to foil the protest.

Eyewitness account said the security personnel suppressed the students by using excessive force and many of them who scampered for safety got injured in the process, while others were tortured by the security guards.

At least 38 protesting students were arrested and detained at the security office in the University where they were kept in deteriorating conditions until Tuesday Morning.

“On Tuesday, the security personnel again stormed another female hostel where they arrested 20 more female students. Those who were identified to have participated in the protest were forcefully evicted out of their hostels with their clothes thrown out of the hostels’ premisses, while their identification cards were seized by the angry security who acted on the directive of the Management,” a student told PRNigeria.

Allegations also filtered in that some females students were reportedly stripped naked in public and sexually harassed during detention by the campus security officials, eyewitnesses said.

A 200 Level female student, Zainab, while confirming the tuition fee hike, said, “The institution increased the tuition fee by N5,000 despite the first increment at the inception of the Aliyu Shugaba administration in June 2019; without visible improvement in infrastructure.

“Apart from the lack of electricity supply to our hostels, there is the persistent issue of water scarcity in the institution.”

Another student, who was arrested and detained since Monday said; “I was sexually harassed by the security personnel while the protest was going on. I was also locked in the school prison overnight for fighting for our rights.

“While in the school cell, I saw sick students, mostly females, who were really tortured by the institution’s security men. They took our ID cards, and tortured us because we were protesting and demanding our rights.”

The female student, who preferred anonymity, said; “I’m highly disappointed with the University of Maiduguri Management team. What wrong have we committed by protesting against the increase in tuition fee and requesting an improvement in the light and water supply?”

Similarly, a student of Biology Education further alleged that the school management had revoked the bed spaces of the protesting students in the hostels which further heightened tension in the institution.

However, in his reaction to the ugly development, the Dean of Student Affairs at UNIMAID, Prof A. M. Gimba, warned that the University Management would deal decisively with anybody or groups trying to breach the peace on campus.

Gimba’s warning was contained in an official statement released by the University that the authorities will not condone any wanton behavior by students or intruders who are not students but are out to breach the peace and destabilize academic activities in the University. – Additional report by PRNigeria and MetroWatch