The Need To Bolster The Security Architecture Of The A.B.U. Security Force -By Jonathan Abhulimen

In the 6 Geopolitical Zones in our country today, there is no safe haven. The media on a daily basis present us information about insecurity, with scores of people being killed and kidnapped.

In the North-West of Nigeria, armed groups have been engaging in ceaseless violence and bloodshed, which many communities have suffered from. The roads are not safe to ply, and farms and other properties have been destroyed.

In Kaduna State, located in North-West Nigeria, schools are not left out of these outrageous acts.
Students are being kidnapped, maimed and killed. Huge sums of money are being demanded for some of the kidnapped students to be released. This is indeed appalling.

Federal-owned academic institutions such as Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria and Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation have had an experience of bandit encroachment, with staff and students being killed and kidnapped.

Recently, The Nigerian Defense Academy, was invaded by bandits with 2 soldiers being killed and a Major kidnapped, who was later eliminated.

Coming down to Ahmadu Bello University, located in the Samaru Area of Zaria, there is a need to facilitate more measures that will ensure the protection of staffs and students, and even the Samaru Community, and which will ultimately prevent bandit encroachment.

Happenings have previously occurred within the school. On November 17, 2020, when there were no academic activities in the University, due to the ASUU strike that lasted for 10 months, gunmen invaded a staff quarters located at Area BZ of the school’s main campus and kidnapped 2 lecturers.

Just this night, the Zango Area of Samaru was invaded.

There is need for both staffs and students, and even the security personnel to be vigilant amidst the ongoing security crisis in the country. Everyone should restrict their movements.

Observing events at the North Gate, with the entry and exit of students and vehicles, one would say there is not enough security. The A.B.U. Security personnel stationed at the gate do not thoroughly check people who get into the school. Although, they do ask for ID cards to access people who want to get into the school, but this is not done consistently. Anyone sent to monitor activities or to cause mayhem could easily carry out his task. due to lack of consistent assessment of people.
I suggest that there should also be use of bomb or gun detecting devices by security personnel at the gate.

The vehicles which go in and out of the school premises should be thoroughly checked. Issuing of tickets to motorists does not in any way guarantee security. Anyone could come into the school with destructive equipments that could harm people and destabilize the school’s activities. So, the entrance should be turned to checkpoints so that vehicles will be thoroughly checked before gaining entrance into the school premises

Looking at the Phase 2 of the ABU Main Campus, it is very porous to security threats. That part of the campus is not fenced and the villages (ungwan), which are at the southern end of the school and are not so far from the male hostels could be infiltrated, giving access to the “men of the underworld” to carry out their heinous acts.

The Ahmadu Bello University Management should look into all these and seek more preferable solutions that will aid the school in having a bolstered and stronger security architecture. They should work with more intelligent methods, and other security and paramilitary organisation so as to keep the school and also its outskirts more secured.