Plateau Kilings: Abia to evacuate UNIJOS students back home

Following the recent crisis in Jos, Plateau State capital, and the subsequent closure of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has made arrangements for evacuation of students of the university who are of Abia State origin.

This decision was conveyed in a statement issued on Sunday by the government and signed by the commissioner for information, John Kalu.

According to the statement, more than 200 students of Abia origin who are studying in the university are currently stranded.

The statement reads in part: “Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has dispatched a team led by his Special Assistant on Students Affairs, Mr Chibuzo Ndom, to the University of Jos, Plateau State, to evacuate students of Abia origin who are currently stranded as a result of the recent violence and subsequent closure of the institution.

“The contingent from Abia which includes security personnel are expected to ensure the safe return of the over 200 students of Abia origin back to the state capital, Umuahia, where the evacuees will be welcomed by the Governor.”

This is coming just a few hours after Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, begged the government and people of Ondo for forgiveness, following the recent attack and killing of 23 people from Ondo who were passing through Jos.

Earlier, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a group of indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory had evacuated more than 279 students from the university back to Abuja.

BackgroundOn August 14, some 22 Muslim travellers were reportedly killed in Jos North local government area of Plateau State, while 14 others were injured in the attack.

The development led to a declaration of curfew in the affected areas by the state governor, Simon Lalong.

However, despite the dusk-down curfew imposed, violence continued especially with the killings of some students of the University of Jos.

The university management, therefore, announced the suspension of academic activities and advised students to vacate hostel and return to their various homes pending when normalcy would return to the area.