Boko haram threathens to bomb UNIBEN

•National
Assembly
tightens
security
There was panic yesterday at
the Ugbowo and Ekenwan
campuses of the University of
Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State,
over plans by the dreaded
Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to
bomb the university.
Visitors and students were
frisked before leaving or
entering the university.
Many students in the hostels
were seen packing out.
Boko Haram had, last
Thursday, sent an e-mail to
the Registrar in which they
said the university would be
bombed.
It gave September 12-17 as
their target date to detonate
bombs at the university.
It warned that the message
was “not a threat, but a
notification which must be
strictly adhered to.”
The group also listed 19 other
universities it planned to
bomb within the period.
The university’s spokesman,
Harrison Osarenren,
confirmed the receipt of the
threat message.
In a September 7 letter,
Osarenren urged “mischief
makers to disassociate
themselves from any evil plan
as security operatives are on
their trail.
“Management of the
university views with serious
concern plans by some
persons who do not mean
well for the institution to
cause mayhem on our
campus..”
At the University of Ibadan,
Oyo State, motorists entering
the campus had a hard time
as the university authorities
mounted an intensive security
check at the gate.
The security measure, which
left motorists sweating for
hours, followed unconfirmed
reports that the university had
also been marked down for
bombing.
Many motorists abandoned
their mission at the university
after spending hours in the
traffic created by parking
outside the gate and walking
into the campus.
Others who could not take the
decision endured the traffic
snarl, which led to a long
queue towards Sango.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Administration), Prof Elijah
Bamigboye, said though the
bomb scare came as a
rumour, the authorities did
not want to take chances in
view of the experience at the
United Nations house in
Abuja.
His words: “We heard
rumours that a group is likely
to descend on institutions
where education is being
imparted.
“We heard that U.I is top on
the list.
“When we heard the rumour,
we did not want to take
chances.
“The essence is to sensitise
the community and to alert
people on the rumour.
“We directed the security
department to step up
screening of all vehicles into
the campus.
“ My car too was subjected to
thorough search this
morning.”
The authorities of the National
Assembly yesterday
introduced new security
measures ahead of
lawmakers’ resumption today.
Visitors and staff were made
to go through a series of
checks before being allowed
into the complex.
Already, staff and visitors are
not allowed to drive into the
complex, following reports
that Boko Haram has listed the
Assembly and other
government institutions as its
next target.
To cushion the effect of
trekking the about one
kilometre distance into the
complex, the Clerk of the
National Assembly has
provided two buses to convey
both staff and security-cleared
visitors to the complex.