ASUU gives FG 48 hours to rescue abducted UNIABUJA profs, others

Fresh tension is building in the nation’s universities over kidnap of lecturers and other workers as the Academic Staff Union of Universities has given the Federal Government a 48-hour ultimatum to rescue victims kidnapped from the University of Abuja on Monday.

Gunmen had attacked the university’s staff quarters, abducting six persons, comprising two professors, one senior lecturer and three of their family members.

Those abducted were identified as Professor Obansa and his son; Professor Oboscolo, his son and daughters, as well as Dr Tobins.

This prompted the institution’s chapter of ASUU to call for prayers from Nigerians.

ASUU chairman in the institution, Dr Kasim Umar, who announced the ultimatum at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, told journalists that the union was dissatisfied with the inability of security agencies to rescue their colleagues since the abduction.

He said the kidnappers had made contact with the family members of the victims to demand for ransom.

Umar said the kidnappers were demanding N50 million to release the six persons abducted during the attack.

He said lecturers of the university were unhappy that security agencies were not deploying adequate surveillance equipment to track down the criminals.

Gunmen again attacked the university on Wednesday and attacked another lecturer identified as Dr David Okoroafor in his office at about 11am.

He was said to have, however, escaped his attackers and sent a message to officials of ASUU in the university.

The earlier kidnap of six persons in the university compelled the red alert and checkpoints set up by the military on Tuesday to nip in the bud threats of attack on FCT by terrorists and kidnappers.