SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, (THEWILL) – The University of Abuja on Monday bemaoned the incursion of herdsmen into academic and residential areas of the university’s campus, lamenting that students and staff now struggle for space with herds of cattle.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Michael Adikwu stated that the herdsmen were purposely brought into the university by the Federal government when they had clashes with natives of the Federal Capital Territory, as a means of preventing further violence.
Adikwu, who spoke with journalists in the main campus of the University as part of the activities marking his three years in office, said he had sought the intervention of the Federal government on the urgent need to relocate the herdsmen and their cattles from the university campus.
Disclosing that there were four grazing areas where the herdsmen can be relocated, he disclosed that he had personally approached the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, on the issue and that he has promised to relocate them to an FCT community called Pai.
According to the VC, “As far as herdsmen are concerned, it is a very difficult thing. What we have done is to write to the security agencies to come and help us. We went to the Gwagwalada Local Government Area and we were told that the herdsmen were brought here because they had communal clashes with natives in other areas.
“I have mentioned this issue to the FCT minister and we have a committee working on it. The minister has also said there is a place called Pai where they will eventually take the herdsmen to. He said there were four grazing sites where the herdsmen would be taken to.
“So, we are hopeful about the relocation. I also mentioned this issue to the present governing council to stimulate the government so that the herdsmen can be removed from our campus.
“I personally will call the head of the herdsmen and talk to them. Even if they want to use our campus, they should move far away from the students’ areas.”
Students of the institution had in April said the herdsmen constituted a security risk, stressing that they were no longer comfortable with the herdsmen being on campus.
The Student Union Government, SUG President, Abdulaziz Ola, had then called on the FCT minister to act swiftly on the matter.
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