Military Expresses Concern over High Wave of Crime in Tertiary Institutions

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Nigerian military on Monday expressed great concern over the increasing cases of extremism, terrorism and kidnapping in the nation’s education tertiary institutions.
It warned that the trend portends a great danger to the nation’s security and intelligence gathering.

The Commander, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Samuel Alade, stated this in Abuja at the ongoing national security workshop organised by the NDC, Associated Management Consulting and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) with the theme: ‘Proactive and Sustainable Intelligence Gathering and Response in Tertiary Institutions.’

Alade, who was represented by Major General Ede Gabriel Ode, said though cases of extremism and other social vices in tertiary institutions were not new, the rising wave and the sophistication of acts of kidnapping and terrorism associated with academic institutions are now at an alarming rate.

The commander contended that given the high wave of extremism, terrorism and kidnapping, “the nation is in dire need of universal response mechanisms to these threats in our institutions of learning”.
“The idea is to seek strategic approaches or techniques for preventing kidnapping, terrorist attacks and violent extremism in tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he added.

Alade further added that the aim of the workshop is to “cover all categories of tertiary institutions in the country and hopefully extend to elementary and secondary schools”.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Director of Tertiary Education in the ministry, Hajia Fatima Ahmed Jiddun, reiterated the commitment of the federal government to eradicate extremism and other social vices from tertiary institutions.

Jiddun said: “Disturbing cases of kidnapping and other threats to academic activities must be addressed for education to flourish.”
She stressed that government is not only worried but concerned about making sure that “students are counselled against being vulnerable to these vices”.

According to her, “The leadership of tertiary institutions is to remain resolute in guiding their students against extremism, terrorism, kidnapping and other social vices.”

Presentations were also made by the Associated Management Consulting, the Infrastructural Concessionary Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Participants were drawn from the nation’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.