The abduction of a female undergraduate and the shooting of another person in Bokkos have renewed concerns over the safety of students living outside Plateau State University, where limited hostel capacity leaves thousands dependent on private accommodation.
The attack occurred at about 8.40pm on Saturday in an off-campus residential area in Bokkos Local Government Area. The abducted student is a 100-level female undergraduate of the university, while details about the person who was shot, including their identity and condition, were not immediately available.
A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the undergraduate had gone out with another female student when the attackers seized her.
“Yes, the student was taken away by the attackers last night, and we have not seen her since then. She lives off-campus, but I don’t know her personally,” the student said.
The incident has unsettled students in the community, particularly those who live beyond the university’s immediate security arrangements. The source appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to locate the abducted undergraduate and secure her release.
A university staff member also confirmed that the management had received reports of the shooting. The staff member, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, disclosed that it was the second such incident involving an off-campus student residential area within four weeks.
“The university is aware of a reported shooting incident in one of the off-campus student residential areas. This would be the second such incident in four weeks,” he said.
He acknowledged the institution’s concern over the exposure of students living outside its premises, but explained that the university’s direct security responsibility was centred on its campus.
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The management, under Vice-Chancellor Professor Shadrack Best, has made efforts to provide on-campus accommodation. However, the available facilities can house only about 1,000 students, despite the institution having a population of nearly 20,000.
“However, due to severe financial constraints, the university is currently only able to accommodate about 1,000 students in its dormitories,” the staff member stated.
This leaves the vast majority of the university’s students to find accommodation elsewhere, placing additional importance on security arrangements in surrounding communities.
The gap between enrolment and hostel capacity also presents a practical challenge: campus authorities cannot directly control every residential location where their students live.
The staff member acknowledged support from Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the university’s Visitor, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for infrastructure projects. He added that the institution would continue discussions with relevant authorities to expand accommodation and improve student security.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain an official response from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Police confirmation of the abduction, the shooting, any rescue operation or arrests was therefore not available.
The immediate priority is the safe recovery of the missing student and clarification of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The recurrence of such incidents also raises questions about how security agencies, university authorities and local communities can better protect students whose accommodation needs take them beyond campus boundaries.
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