There has been suspense and suspicion in Gombe State since the Thursday night bomb attack on the administrative block of Gombe State University which destroyed part of the vice chancellor's office.Checks by Daily Trust revealed that the attack has created concern because it was the first time a university is attacked in the country since the Boko Haram insurgency began.The incident has created a regime of fear because of what is happening in neighbouring Maiduguri, where primary and secondary schools were bombed by suspected Boko Haram followers.Unlike other attacks in Gombe, no group has claimed responsibility for the university attack. Another issue raising question is that the attack occurred at a time when the statevisitation panel led by Professor Shehu Yahaya was in the process of investigating the activities of the university.Daily Trust gathered that the combination of these factors create unease and suspicion within the university community that the blasts may not be unconnected to the coming investigations of the varsity, thereby raising more questions as to what and who is responsible for the strike.Investigations revealed that the attackers came into the university at around 8:45pm in two groups: one from the main gate of the university and the other from a valley at the back of the university.They were said to have fired shots in the air to scare away the security guards at the main gate who attempted to conduct a security search of their explosives-laden vehicle.According to some sources at the university, the assailants also fired shots to scare away the students before they detonated improvised explosive devices at the school's senate building which destroyed the conference room of the vice chancellor and other parts of his office.The Gombe State police command has declined comment on the incident at the university.But Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, shortly after inspecting the blast scene, promised to raise an investigative panel to unravel those behind the attack especially because 'no group has claimed responsibility of the attack.'Dankwambo, who condemned the attack, urged students of the university to go about their academic activities as the government has stepped up measures to forestall recurrences.On the other side, some sources within the university who spoke to our correspondent,said the university's vice chancellor Professor Abdullahi Mahdi,who was known for staying late in the office could be the target of the attack, adding that this could be seen from the fact it was only his office that was destroyed by the gunmen.But Dr Isa Wade, the state commissioner for higher education,told our correspondent on phone that the state government won't draw conclusions before the outcome of its investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the 'strange blast.'Dr. Wade said this was the first time the university was being scrutinized by a visitation panel, which has among its term of reference the mandate to look into the administrative operations and finances of the university. He said however that it could be a coincidence until any other panel has proven otherwise.For his part, Professor Mahdi said the incident will not disrupt academic activities and that the university will rebuild the destroyed part of the administrative building and move forward.He said, 'It's not a new thing. It has been happening, the only thing is, we should move forward.' On the documents lost to the blasts, the vice chancellor said that 'we can go to the registrar's office and photocopy them.'A lecturer from university of Maiduguri, who pleaded anonymity, said 'we in Maiduguri are used to this sort of attacks but never was a university attacked and I tell you if it's Boko Haram, they will not be afraid to claim responsibility. I think probably someone somewhere has either something to hide or had a different motive that only God knows what.'A student of the university who spoke to this reporter described the attack as the most harrowing experience in his entire life because many students were taken unawares to hear the sound of a gunshots followed by blasts.Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the university, Comrade Umar Adamu, said there must be an ulterior motive behind the attack. This is because, he said, Boko Haram has never attacked any university.He said that'we cannot really conclude but I think is more than a coincidence that the attack occurred when a visitation panel is conducting its assignment in the school. But if it's someone, I think he should know there's a limit to which everyone does, if you succeed today you may not succeed tomorrow.'Residents of Gombe and the university community are now looking up to the state government and the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this crime.
Click here to read full news..
