By Funmilayo Adeyemi

Pro-Chancelors and Vice-Chancellors of both federal, state and private universities have commended the Federal Government for the prompt release of kidnapped University of Abuja staff.

They are the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities (CPCNFU), Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities (COPSUN) and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU).

The commendation was made in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

The statement was co-signed by Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs, Chairman, CPCNFU. Mr Yusuf Ali, Chairman, COPSUN and Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo, Chairman, CVCNU.

The committees also commended the role of all security agencies for the rescue of the victims from the unfortunate incident of Nov.2.

They called for severe measures to be put in place to curbfuture occurrences.

“We sympathise with the families of the victims and the management of University of Abuja over this unfortunate incident.

“Our prayers are with them at this time, more importantly, we call on their abductors to effect the immediate and safe return of all the affected persons.

“ We note with serious concern that similar incidents had occurred in the past at the University of Maiduguri, Greenfield University, Kaduna, Joseph S. Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and numerous secondary and primary schools across the country.

“Sadly, a number of staff and studentshave lost their lives, while the traumatic experiences of some others in the kidnappers’ den could only be best Imagined,” the statement said.

They said that it was obvious that the education institutions had become soft and prime targets for the nefarious activities of these bandits.

“It is in view of this development that we hereby call on the Federal Government to as a matter or urgency to deploy a special squad for university campuses towork hand in hand with campus security personnel.

“Provide jointly manned roadblocks on inter-city highways adjacent to our institutions of higher learning and provide our institutions with funds to construct perimeter fencing in order to address the porous nature of security,” they added.

They also called for the provision of adequate funds to procure necessary security gadgets that would improve the security architecture of the campuses. (NAN)