surveillance of universities across the
country shortly after President Goodluck
Jonathan gave the Academic Staff Union
of Universities an ultimatum to call off
their strike.
The Inspector-General of Police,
Mohammed Abubakar, had on Thursday
ordered the provision of adequate
security around university campuses
Abubakar had directed all command
commissioners of police to personally
oversee the intensification of
surveillance activities around the
universities within their state commands
and to take all necessary security
measures needed to provide for the
safety and security of staff and students
as well as property within the various
campuses.
Our correspondent gathered on
Saturday that the police would not
occupy the campuses to avoid creating
tension and militarising the academic
environment.
It was learnt that undercover policemen,
who were deployed, will not enter
campuses unless there was a compelling
security reason to do so.
A senior police officer, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the police
did not have to wait for the government
to take measures that would save lives
and property, adding that deployment of
security agents to tertiary institutions
was purely a police decision and affair.
He said, “It is erroneous to say it was
the Federal Government that directed
us to deploy undercover agents in
campuses; the decision was taken by
the police management team based on
security reports and intelligence at their
disposal. Is it the government that will
tell the police what they should do?”
When contacted, the Force Public
Relations Officer, Frank Mba confirmed
that undercover officers had been
deployed in campuses, but he could not
say how long the operatives would be
kept there.
