University of Maiduguri shut down as resident flee on Bomb threat by Boko Haram

The University of Maiduguri was yesterday closed down indefinitely following alleged threats by the Boko Haram sect to bomb the institution.

The decision to shut down the university, according to its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Ahmed Mohammed, was taken by the authorities after an emergency meeting of the Committee of Provost and Deans yesterday.

Mohammed said the meeting reviewed the worsening security situation in Maiduguri, purported threats by the Boko Haram to target facilities on the campus as well as mounting tension among students and staff of the institution, maintaining that “the authorities had no other option than to shut down the university for now.”

Explaining further, the university spokeman disclosed that a circular has been issued to that effect, adding, “students are already checking out of their hostels. This is the best we can do now in the face of the security challenge we found ourselves in Borno and we don’t want to take any chance.”
He hinted that the authorities would review the closing directive “by the time they realize there is a reasonable improvement in the security situation.”

Daily Sun could not obtain a copy of the circular as at the time of filing this report yesterday night.
But the spokes person of the Joint Task Force (JTF) has described the hasty closure of the university as “un necessary panic, nothing that “we had earlier visited the institution to re-assure them of their security.”

The force operation officer, Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, who spoke on behalf of the JTF, said there was no need to heighten tension with the closure, adding that their men were already in control of the situation.
Meanwhile more residents fled the state yeaterday as most of the motor parks in the metropolis witnessed influx of passengers to different parts of the country.