Gunmen raid UNIABUJA staff quarters, abduct professors, others

Armed men on Tuesday morning invaded the Senior Staff Quarters of the University of Abuja.

At the university located at the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, six people were reportedly abducted at about 1a.m.

Those abducted are Prof. Obanza Malam, Prof. Bassey Ubom with his son and daughter, Sambo Mohammed and Dr. Tobit.

Spokesman for the University, Habib Yakoob, has confirmed the attack.

“It is true,” he said.

On the official Facebook page of the university, the information was shared.

The information read: “Suspected bandits attacked the staff quarters of the university in the early hours of today.

“Our safety officers, in conjunction with security personnel, mobilised to secure the quarters.

“We have report that four of our staff and their children were, nevertheless, abducted by the evil men.

“Efforts are being made to ensure their safe return. A sad day for us, indeed!”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in FCT, CP Babaji Sunday, has said that a combined team of policemen and soldiers have been mobilised to the Staff Quarters of University of Abuja where gunmen abducted four persons on Tuesday.

“The police have also dispatched additional tactical and conventional policing resources to the main and satellite campuses of the university to ensure safety of the residents,” Police Public Relations Officer Josephine Adeh, said in a statement.

The police said that the commissioner of police “gave the order following report that some armed criminals invaded the university’s Staff Quarters located at Giri community of the FCT in the early hours of Tuesday.

“A combined team of the police and personnel of the Nigerian Army, 176 Guards Battalion, were swiftly mobilised to the area to protect the citizens,” Adeh said.

The police urged the residents to be calm, promising that the security forces had been working with the locals in the area towards rescuing the victims.

The commissioner also assured the residents that the perpetrators would be arrested and brought to book.

The police give 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883 as telephone numbers to contact in case of emergency on security.

The public relations of the University, Dr. Habib Yakoob, who confirmed the abduction said that safety officers, in conjunction with security personnel, had also been mobilised to secure the staff quarters.