Tension broke out on Sunday evening at the Ezekwe Female Hostel of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State. Students raised the alarm after they saw a man they suspected was a Fulani herdsman inside the hostel.
According to SaharaReporters, the students quickly caught the man before security officers arrived. The reason he was there is still unclear, which made students feel even more worried, especially since there have been many reports of insecurity in the country. A student living in the hostel, Chiago Stephanie, told SaharaReporters that the situation caused a lot of panic. She said students were confused about how the man got into a restricted female hostel.
She said,
“Right now there’s a lot of tension at UNIZIK. How did a Fulani herdsman get into our female hostel? Now they’re saying the man is mentally unstable. Where did he come from, and how did he end up there without any bad intentions?” The student added that the man started acting “as if he was mentally unwell” after being questioned by students.
A university official who confirmed the incident, but asked not to be named, said that the school was not “invaded” and that the man did not attack or break into the hostel.
He said,
“There’s nothing like a Fulani herdsman or anyone else invading students’ hostels. Instead, an unknown person was seen around the hostel area. He was caught by the safety department. During his questioning, it seemed he was not mentally stable.”
The official explained that the fear was partly because of the country’s tense security situation.
He said,
“Because of what’s happening in the country, seeing a man in a female hostel naturally caused high anxiety. But when security officers checked him, they found he couldn’t think clearly and acted like someone who wasn’t mentally sound.” He also said that no weapons or harmful items were found on the man.He added, “Nothing was found on him—no harmful objects or anything suspicious. He was taken to the safety department for more questioning, but so far, the findings show he is mentally unstable. The idea that he’s a Fulani invader is not supported by the evidence we have.”
Students continue to worry and are upset, asking for better security around university hostels.Meanwhile, SaharaReporters tried to speak with the university management, but they couldn’t reach anyone. The public relations officer, Njelita Louis, said the management was going to make an official statement about the incident and talk about new security measures, but they hadn’t done so at the time of this report.