Executive Secretary of
the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, has raised alarm over cult activities and other violent criminal acts in universities.
He said as a result of the increase in crimes in tertiary institutions, students and lecturers now live in fear.
Professor Okojie, who was represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Hamza, a senior official of the commission, said this at a workshop on security challenges in Calabar, Cross River State.
Declaring open the workshop which was attended by vice chancellors, academics and student groups, the NUC boss said: “Cultism is now a major concern in the country because of the kind of weapons the members use to perpetuate their nefarious acts against fellow students and lecturers.  The students who belong to these nocturnal groups on campus take hard drugs and carry out very unthinkable and wicked acts.”
Lamenting that Nigerian universities are no longer safe, he said there are now rampant reports of theft, rape and illegal movements, despite internal security networks within campuses and called for proactive measures by security agencies.
He said campus security systems must be upgraded and security personnel well motivated and equipped to curtail the crimes.
Also speaking, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor James Epoke, lamented that most campuses are porous, because they did not take the issue of perimeter fencing into consideration when they were established.
Citing a recent case where a student walked into a lecturer’s office and shot him dead, Epoke said security gadgets assisted the university to identify the culprits, urging all universities to acquire modern security devices.