Benue Evacuates Students From Mubi

                   

Picture : peculiarmagazine.com

The Benue State government said it has commenced the evacuation of students from Mubi in Adamawa State, following the recent attack on the town by insurgents.

The Chief of Staff to the governor, Prof. Saint Gbilekaa, disclosed this when he received the first batch of the students from Adamawa in Makurdi on Friday night.

The first batch included 17 students of Adamawa State University and Federal Polytechnic Mubi. Gbilekaa said out of over 400 students in Adamawa, only 17 could be evacuated in the first batch.

He said the others were scattered in the bushes while some were taking refuge in Cameroon. He said the government would intensify efforts to ensure that all the students are brought back safely.

He appealed to the students who are yet to be evacuated to assist the government by coming together in groups and to make contact with their friends and relatives or notify the government for action.

"The plight of our children schooling in the Boko Haram affected states is immense, especially those in Mubi, Adamawa. We were informed of the situation of our children who were able to run away from Mubi and were stranded in the bush and the governor quickly ordered their evacuation.

They are many and some are scattered in the bush, some are taking refuge in Cameroon while the 17 of them were able to come together to notify us for adequate action. We appeal to those still in the bushes to try their possible best to establish contact with either their relatives or any government official to enable us come to their aid", he said.

Gbilekaa added that if the situation persists, the government may ask for transfer of the students to other institutions to ensure their safety.

Dominic Ekele, Business Administration student of Adamawa State University, told newsmen that Boko Haram militants took over the university and Mubi town.

Ekele said security personnel and civilians ran for their lives.

"We spent three days in the bush without food, climbing mountains and running away from the insurgents. We walked over 100 kilometres before we were able to get people that helped us.

As I am talking with you now, some students are in the bush, while others are taking refuge in Cameroon," he said.

He commended the state government for coming to their aid within a short notice and pleaded for the rescue of others still in the bushes and in Cameroon.

Source - dailytrust and allafica.com