Thousands of students of the Cross River University of Technology yesterday took to the streets and barricaded the institution’s main gate over robbery cases on campus.
The students prevented staff members and vehicles from gaining access into the institution expressing anger over what they described as management insensitivity towards putting an end to the incessant attack on students’ hostel by hoodlums.
The students protest followed constant robbery cases in the female hostel at the campus leading to loss of students’ personal effects and cash after the attacks.
One of the students, Mr Silas Ayuk, who refused to identify the department and year of study in the institution, while speaking with LEADERSHIP in Calabar yesterday stated that the latest robbery attack was the third in five weeks stressing that the protest was the only way to express their anger and a wake-up call for the management to rise to the occasion.
As early as 8:am on Tuesday, the students congregated at the institution’s main gate, barricaded the main gate and stop entry of workers into the institution which disrupted academic activities.
Another student who claimed to be a two hundred level Computer Science student that also refused to give his name stated that they decided to take to the streets given the fact that nothing was being done by the management of the school to salvage the situation.
The computer science undergraduate lamented how robbers prefer to rob the female hostel at regular intervals and management is showing nonchallant attitude.
He said, “This is not the first or second robbery incident but the third this month. Since we resumed, the armed robbers have visited the female hostel thrice and nothing has been done to improve the security situation in the school. Rather than protect us, the policemen on campus prefer to chase us around campus.”
Efforts to get the vice chancellor, Prof Austen Amgba and the public relations officer of the institution Mr Onen Onen to react on the issue failed as none of them picked their calls.
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