University of Maiduguri bomb blast: The school will not be closed says VC

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Prof.  Abubakar Njodi, says in spite of Monday’s bomb blast, the university will not be closed

Njodi stated this on Monday in Maiduguri, when Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigerian Army paid him a sympathy visit.

“I can convince the senate, the management and the university community to close the school to save lives.

“But if we do that, we are not helping because we have to give the security our maximum support and our support is not to join them in the battle field.

“If we run away, that means there is nobody they should be fighting for. We should stay and resolve it, after all the war is about us, western education.

“If we stay, the terrorists will be frustrated because that is their aim.

“What is the point of fighting for us if we run? We should stand our ground so that the military will be proud that the people they are fighting for are on ground.

“Therefore, our decision is not to close the university. We want to assure you our theatre commander, the university remains open and we will continue with our examinations tomorrow.

“We suspended the exams for today because we want the military to come and access what happened,” Njodi said.

The VC pleaded with the military to tighten security so as to prevent further occurrence of the sad incident.  It would be recalled that a 7 year old suicide bomber donated an improvised Explosive Device in a mosque in the early hours of Monday 16 January, 2017 when Muslims faithful were observing the morning prayers which led to the death of a professor who was the Director of the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and four other persons while other sustain injuries.