ASUU gives FG 48-hour ultimatum to rescue victims of UniAbuja kidnap

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), University of Abuja Chapter, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the Federal Government and the security agencies to rescue the victims who were kidnapped from the university on Tuesday.

UniAbuja Chairman of ASUU, Dr Kasim Umar, while addressing newsmen, on Thursday, revealed that the kidnappers have made contact with the family members of the victims and are demanding N50 million for each of the six persons abducted, making it N300 million for all of them.

He said the union was dissatisfied over the inability of security agencies to rescue their colleagues 48 hours since the abduction.

The lecturers lamented that they were unhappy, that the security agencies were not deploying adequate surveillance equipment to track down the criminals.

Six persons were kidnapped, including two professors, one senior lecturer, and three of their family members.

Those abducted were identified as Professor Obansa and his son; Professor Oboscolo, his son and daughters, as well as Dr Tobins.

He demanded a perimeter fence around staff quarters while decrying what it described as the poor state of staff quarters, he said was developed during the years of President Shehu Shagari administration.

According to him, the staff quarters were hitherto built by the Shagari administration as police barracks, and later changed to provide temporary accommodation for the founding staff of the university and had become inhabitable.

Umar lamented that ASUU members were too traumatised following Tuesday’s attack that they could not go to classes anymore.

He called on the government, to as matter of urgency, embark on the construction of perimeter fencing around the Staff Quarters, for effective control of movement around the university’s quarters.

While demanding for immediate rescue and release of all their kidnapped members, children and other staff, within 24 hours, they also sought for immediate ejection of all illegal occupants and trespassers from the university land.

Some of their demands include; “Immediate rescue and release of all our kidnapped members, children and other staff, who are currently being held by the criminals.

“Government should act swiftly to ensure this is done. There should be active cooperation between the military, other security agencies and the university administration.

“To make this effective, ASUU demands the establishment of a rapid response unit, in the form of a joint task force or police mobile unit or military special force, which could be called upon, in case of any emergency.

“Immediate ejection of all illegal occupants and trespassers from the university land.

“Embark on the immediate construction of residential quarters that befit the status of a university in the Federal Capital territory.”

The union also decried the worrisome and degenerating state of security across the country which has become so terrible that not even the ivory towers are spared.

He similarly complained about the student hostels, which are highly unsecured and the entire campus vulnerable to all manners of attacks.

“For this reason, trespassers and unauthorised individuals have occupied some parts of the University land thereby increasing the state of insecurity on the campus.

“The lives of our members, students and other staff of the University are seriously endangered by the parlous state of security in the campuses and residential quarters of the University,” he said.

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ASUU gives FG 48-hour ultimatum to rescue victims of UniAbuja kidnap