There was panic yesterday at the Ugbowo and Ekenwan campuses of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State, over plans by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to bomb the university.
Visitors and students were frisked before leaving or entering the university.
Many students in the hostels were seen packing out.
Boko Haram had, last Thursday, sent an e-mail to the Registrar in which they said the university would be bombed.
It gave September
more after the jump
12-17 as their target date to detonate bombs at the university.It warned that the message was “not a threat, but a notification which must be strictly adhered to.”
The group also listed 19 other universities it planned to bomb within the period.
The university’s spokesman, Harrison Osarenren, confirmed the receipt of the threat message.
In a September 7 letter, Osarenren urged “mischief makers to disassociate themselves from any evil plan as security operatives are on their trail.
“Management of the university views with serious concern plans by some persons who do not mean well for the institution to cause mayhem on our campus..”
At the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, motorists entering the campus had a hard time as the university authorities mounted an intensive security check at the gate.
The security measure, which left motorists sweating for hours, followed unconfirmed reports that the university had also been marked down for bombing.
Many motorists abandoned their mission at the university after spending hours in the traffic created by parking outside the gate and walking into the campus.
Others who could not take the decision endured the traffic snarl, which led to a long queue towards Sango.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof Elijah Bamigboye, said though the bomb scare came as a rumour, the authorities did not want to take chances in view of the experience at the United Nations house in Abuja.
His words: “We heard rumours that a group is likely to descend on institutions where education is being imparted.
“We heard that U.I is top on the list.
“When we heard the rumour, we did not want to take chances.
“The essence is to sensitise the community and to alert people on the rumour.
“We directed the security department to step up screening of all vehicles into the campus.
“ My car too was subjected to thorough search this morning.”
The authorities of the National Assembly yesterday introduced new security measures ahead of lawmakers’ resumption today.
Visitors and staff were made to go through a series of checks before being allowed into the complex.
Already, staff and visitors are not allowed to drive into the complex, following reports that Boko Haram has listed the Assembly and other government institutions as its next target.
To cushion the effect of trekking the about one kilometre distance into the complex, the Clerk of the National Assembly has provided two buses to convey both staff and security-cleared visitors to the complex.
Source....The Nation
