Hoodlums Rob ATBU Female Hostel Students In Bauchi

Female students at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, were robbed after hoodlums entered a hostel on the Gubi Campus in the early hours of Monday.

The attackers took phones and other valuables from students in Block B of the female hostel. The university and Bauchi police said they were aware of the incident, while police said an investigation had started.

Daily Trust reported that the attackers stormed the hostel around 2 a.m. with machetes, knives and other weapons, forced their way into more than 10 rooms and carted away over 50 mobile phones and other valuables. One student was said to have sustained serious injuries after refusing to surrender her phone.

Channels TV reported that some students said the suspects cut through a barbed-wire fence and used a ladder to enter the premises. One student said the attackers asked whether the victims wanted their lives or their phones before leaving with valuables.

ATBU Director of Information and Public Relations Zailani Bappah said the Vice-Chancellor had addressed the students and promised additional security steps. Bauchi police spokesperson Nafiu Habib said the suspects had fled before officers arrived, but the command had opened an investigation.

Some students called for tighter security at the Gubi Campus, which sits on the outskirts of Bauchi metropolis.

The attack has added to safety concerns around off-campus and edge-of-campus student housing in Bauchi, especially after another recent robbery involving students at Sa’adu Zungur University.

Sources: Daily Trust, Channels TV