By: Sunday Ameh
There was panic on Sunday evening at the Ezekwe Female Hostel of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, after students raised an alarm over a man suspected to be a Fulani herdsman found inside the hostel premises.
Students reportedly apprehended the man before security personnel intervened, heightening concerns over how he managed to gain entry into the restricted female-only area.
One of the students, identified as Chiago Stephanie, told SaharaReporters that the incident caused widespread fear among residents of the hostel.
“As we speak, there is high tension in UNIZIK,” she said. “How did a Fulani herdsman enter our female hostel? Now they are saying he is mentally challenged.
Where did he come from? How did he enter if there were no hidden intentions?”
She added that the man appeared to start behaving “as if mentally unstable” shortly after students confronted and questioned him.
A university official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident but dismissed claims that the school was “invaded.”
“There’s nothing like an invasion of the students’ hostel by a Fulani herdsman,” the official said. “An unidentified person was seen around the hostel. He was caught by the safety department, and during interrogation, he behaved like someone mentally imbalanced.”
The official attributed the heightened tension to the current security situation in the country, noting that the discovery of an unidentified male within a female hostel was enough to trigger panic.
Security personnel reportedly found no weapon or harmful object on the man.
“Nothing was found on him—no instrument of harm or anything suspicious,” the official stated. “He was taken to the safety department office for further interrogation, but so far, findings show he is mentally unstable. The speculation about him being a Fulani invader is not supported by the evidence we have.”
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain a formal statement from the university’s Public Relations Officer, Njelita Louis, were unsuccessful. He noted that the management would issue an official statement addressing the incident and outlining new security measures.
Students continue to call for tighter security around hostels to prevent similar occurrences.
Leave a Reply