Vice-chancellors meet Enugu govt over cult killings
From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
TWO vice-chancellors at the weekend met with Enugu State government to seek help in the war against cultism.
The meeting came on the heels of the reported death of three students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who were killed in a clash between two secret cult groups in Nsukka and a final year law student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) allegedly shot at Trans-Ekulu area of Enugu last Monday.
The Guardian learnt that there had been sporadic shootings at Nsukka in the last four days, which were as a result of the clashes among cult groups leading to the death of the students. One of the victims who was killed at Odenigbo, was said to be an informant of one of the cult leaders. He was killed in his residence.
According to the source: "The school environment is no longer safe. These boys come into the classrooms, pick handsets and shoot anyhow. The situation is now terrible and nobody is safe inside the school".
The final year law student of ESUT said to be in his 20s, was alleged to be drinking with some friends in one of the pubs at the shopping centre, when the assailants walked in and rained bullets on him.
Although the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Shehu Adamu, said the police had intensified efforts to crack down on the cultists, the development may not have gone down well with the vice-chancellors of the two institutions. The vice chancellors had last Friday stormed the executive council meeting of the state government to lay their complaints and solicit assistance.
It was learnt that the governor, at the meeting, had marvelled at the presence of the two visitors and decided to shelve other discussions to give audience to the vice-chancellors. They were said to have narrated a pathetic story.
It was gathered that the executive council meeting resolved to employ all necessary means to tackle cultism in the affected institutions and presented two Hilux Toyota vans to the police to help tackle the trend.
Speaking after the conference, Governor Chimaroke Nnamani said the meeting with the two vice-chancellors was very successful, but declined to give details of their discussion.
He, however, sent a note of warning to the cultists and their sponsors, advising them to give peace a chance as the government was ready to use all within its power to tackle them.
He restated the determination of his government to continue to protect lives and property of the citizenry, vowing that any act inimical to the wellbeing of the people must be resisted.
Nnamani said the presentation of two Hilux Toyota vans to the state Police Command was the first phase of the plan to overhaul the transportation system of the Operation Fire for Fire unit to enable them combat crime effectively.
Commending the Nigeria Police and others like the Air Force, Army and State Security Service (SSS) for fighting crime in the state, the governor noted that their operations led to the recovery of stolen cars and other property including arms and ammunition in parts of the state recently.
He solicited the co-operation of private sector and public-spirited individuals in fighting crime in the state.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Morrison Abe, while receiving the vehicles, commended the government for its invaluable assistance towards solving the command's logistic problems, adding that the vans would assist them especially in the Rapid Response operations.
He, however, said the Force needed more logistics support to effectively fight crime in the state.
