UNIMAID bombings: Shettima approves N50m for 27km trenches, allowances for special guards

Governor Kashim Shettima on Monday approved the immediate release of 50 million naira for the security around the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) community which has been under siege by Boko Haram since the beginning of this year.

He made the pronouncement when he visited the main campus and assessed different scenes where suicide attacks took place in the last 24 hours.

The amount he noted is to cover the ongoing digging of massive trenches behind the University covering about 27 kilometres, through which Boko Haram insurgents have been accessing the community from Sambisa in the dead of the night.

The governor had two weeks ago mobilised caterpillars to start the digging of the massive trenches as a stop gap measure of responding to previous attacks on soft targets in the institution.

Shettima announced that the N50 million was not only to fund the digging exercise, but also to support payment of allowances to special guards drawn from local vigilantes who are to work with the military in policing porous areas behind the institution.

According to the governor, even though the university is a federal institution, it was also part of Borno government’s responsibility to intervene in securing lives and preventing the desire of insurgents to force the close down of academic activities.

Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Aliyu Shugaba who conducted Shettima round the blast scenes was elated by the governor’s enthusiasm to help.

He revealed that the university has since put up a request of N2.8 billion naira to enable it fund the erection of perimeter fence round the exposed portions of the school to prevent incursions by terrorists.

Borno Police Commissioner, Damian Chukwu who accompanied the governor to the scene gave assurances that daily surveillance will be increased by the police for the well being of the community.

UNIMAID has come under sustained suicide attacks since the beginning of this year with Sunday night’s attack being the fifth in series with the attackers being mostly women.

Students are currently on a long break expected to terminate in the next four months.

It is hoped that security should have improved in and around the campus before their return.