Panic spread across the University of Nigeria, Nsukka on Thursday as soldiers and police officers took over major campus gates following a viral social media message alleging an imminent terrorist attack and mass abduction of students.
Heavily armed personnel from the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police Force were stationed at key entry points, including the Oba Main Gate and the UBA Gate, where stop-and-search operations were conducted on all vehicles entering and leaving the campus. The presence of armed security triggered anxiety among students and residents, even as university authorities and security agencies insisted there was no credible intelligence of any planned attack.
The acting Public Relations Officer of UNN, Mr. Inya Agha-Egwu, said the institution acted as a precaution after the alarming post circulated online. Although the university had not received any verified threat report, management considered it necessary to take proactive steps to reassure students and prevent any security breach, he stated.
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In line with its commitment to the safety and security of staff, students and visitors, the University has taken additional precautionary measures to further strengthen security on campus, Agha-Egwu said. He disclosed that army and police personnel had been deployed to strategic entry points to complement the university’s internal security architecture.
UNN also announced the temporary closure of some access gates and an immediate ban on commercial motorcycles. No motorcycle will be permitted beyond the University gates except those belonging to authorised security personnel, he said.
The spokesman urged students, parents and the public to disregard unverified reports capable of causing panic, adding that academic activities would continue uninterrupted. He advised members of the university community to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to security authorities.
The Enugu State Police Command had earlier on June 8 dismissed the viral report as false and deliberately designed to create fear. Signed by spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe, the police said intelligence assessments found no evidence of any planned terrorist attack, infiltration or abduction plot targeting the university.
The report is false, misleading and deliberately intended to incite fear and panic within the university community and surrounding areas, Ndukwe said. He noted that police, in collaboration with university authorities and other security agencies, had already put adequate security measures in place around the institution.
The command alleged the viral message originated from a criminal syndicate operating anonymous social media accounts that had repeatedly circulated similar false alerts. Investigations are ongoing to identify and prosecute those responsible, he added.
Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa, also reassured students, lecturers and residents that security agencies remained vigilant and prepared to respond to any threat.
The development comes amid persistent concerns over attacks on schools across Nigeria. Over the past decade, educational institutions have become targets for armed groups, bandits and terrorists, especially in the north.
The 2014 abduction of over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, and the March 2024 invasion of Kuriga in Kaduna State where scores of pupils and teachers were abducted, have heightened fears. In 2021, students of Greenfield University in Kaduna were kidnapped and some killed, while schools in Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun states have also recorded security alerts.
For many UNN students, the sight of soldiers at campus gates offers some reassurance but also underscores the climate of fear surrounding Nigeria’s education sector. While authorities insist there is no credible threat, the deployment serves as a reminder of the security challenges confronting schools nationwide.
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