Barely 24 hours after the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Comfort Ekpo, drew the attention of security operatives and members of the public to threats by members of Boko Haram to unleash terror on the university, her residence has been attacked by gunmen.
The vice chancellor raised the alarm of the attack on her residence by gunmen in a statement entitled, “Gunmen Attack Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge,” signed by the UNIUYO Registrar, Mrs. Edak Umondak, and made available to the Vanguard, on Friday, in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom State capital.
The police in the state, however, said the shooting occurred at a birthday ceremony close to the vice chancellor’s dwelling and that she was not the target.
Authorities of UNIUYO on its part said the vice chancellor’s residence, located along Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, was attacked, last Wednesday, at about 11.30 pm by gunmen, who stormed her house and fired gun shots sporadically into the building.
According to university, “The gunmen who were spotted by the fence had a gun duel with the policemen on duty and later zoomed off in their parked vehicle”.
It would be recalled that Professor Comfort Ekpo, the UNIUYO Vice-Chancellor had, Tuesday, in a memo endorsed by the institution’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), advised members of the university community to take security precautions in all the campuses including the UNIUYO annex and the town campuses, saying intelligence reports at her disposal indicated that the university was earmarked, as one of the major targets by Boko Haram in the event of an attack in Akwa-Ibom state.
But the Akwa-Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Etim Dickson, said the gun shots at Ewet Housing were not targeted at Professor Comfort Ekpo , explaining that the gun shots emanated from a nearby compound, where some youths were celebrating the birthday of one of their friends.
Dickson said upon hearing the gunshots, gallant policemen were detailed to the scene and those behind the gunshots apprehended. [Vanguard]
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