Female students of Benue State University, BSU, yesterday matched to the office of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Charity Angya, in protest over alleged increasing cases of rape and armed attacks against them in the university.
A female student of BSU who spoke to our newsmen on condition of anonymity said in Makurdi that no fewer than 15 female students were allegedly attacked on campus by men suspected to be cultists in the last few weeks.
She said: “Just last Sunday, some suspected cultists invaded the female hostels and raped and robbed students of their valuables.
“The latest incident was the third in the last one month. About a week ago, a female student was raped by a group of four young men while returning from where she had gone to read at 9 p.m.
“Three weeks earlier, a 100 level female student of the Psychology Department was also shot on campus by unknown gunmen who snatched her iPad, phones and cash just as another female student who went to read, but was caught up in the rain, was raped by four boys and left unconscious until security men in the school discovered her and took her to the school clinic for treatment. She has refused to return to school.
“It was due to these ugly developments that we decided to protest to the office of the Vice Chancellor to seek an explanation.”
Sources said the Vice Chancellor who promised to beef up security on campus, also followed the protesting students into their hostel to see things for herself, while about seven students who were reportedly wounded in the last attack were taken to the school clinic for treatment.
The Dean, Students Affairs, Professor Armstrong Adejoh, confirmed the developments saying however, that it was an internal security issue.
He added that measures had been put in place to check security lapses in the school.