The University of Cross River State has requested that the government erect perimeter fences around its campuses as an urgent intervention to address security challenges confronting the institution.
It warned that abandoning the measure could further result in the school losing critical infrastructure and students exposed to criminal attacks in the state.
This follows growing concerns over safety in public tertiary institutions and the need for stronger collaboration between school authorities and security agencies to protect student lives and their properties
The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Francisca Bassey, appealed on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Director of the Homeland Security and Safety Agency, South, Michael Nsan, and his team to the university in Calabar.
Bassey lamented that the Calabar, Ogoja, and Okuku campuses remain unfenced, a situation she said has led to persistent cases of vandalism, theft, and attacks on students.
She said the university had continued to record losses of vital facilities and equipment.
“The university continues to lose critical infrastructure such as windows, doors, electrical installations, air conditioners, and cables,” she stated.
According to her, the institution’s new auditorium, the Okuku campus store, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Education, and the Staff School have recently been affected by acts of vandalism.
The Vice Chancellor also identified poor remuneration of outsourced security personnel, inadequate patrol vehicles, and the lack of modern surveillance systems as factors hampering effective security operations within the campuses.
She described the visit by the security agency as timely and appealed for collaboration and government support to strengthen the university’s security architecture.
Responding, Nsan said the agency’s visit was aimed at assessing government-owned facilities and recommending practical steps to enhance safety.
“We are here to understand the University’s specific challenges and work with management to identify solutions that will strengthen its security architecture,” he said.
Also speaking, the university’s Chief Security Officer, Iwara Ibiang, called for tougher measures to deter criminal elements, including the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
He further advocated the creation of a comprehensive security database to improve intelligence gathering and response across the institution.
