ASUU strike: Undercover policemen invade campuses

Police IG

The police have commenced a discreet surveillance of universities across the country shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan gave the Academic Staff Union of Universities an ultimatum to call off their strike.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had on Thursday ordered the provision of adequate security around university campuses

Abubakar had directed all command commissioners of police to personally oversee the intensification of surveillance activities around the universities within their state commands and to take all necessary security measures needed to provide for the safety and security of staff and students as well as property within the various campuses.

Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that the police would not occupy the campuses to avoid creating tension and militarising the academic environment. It was learnt that undercover policemen, who were deployed, will not enter campuses unless there was a compelling security reason to do so.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police did not have to wait for the government to take measures that would save lives and property, adding that deployment of security agents to tertiary institutions was purely a police decision and affair.

He said, “It is erroneous to say it was the Federal Government that directed us to deploy undercover agents in campuses; the decision was taken by the police management team based on security reports and intelligence at their disposal. Is it the government that will tell the police what they should do?”

When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba confirmed that undercover officers had been deployed in campuses, but he could not say how long the operatives would be kept there.