A brewing
tension between minority Christians and a larger body of Muslim students has
resulted in the closure of the Federal University in Dutsin-ma in Katsina State
by
the university’s management.
Our
correspondent reported that today’s tense atmosphere arose when, just after
their Friday prayers, Islamic students at the university mobilized and began
protesting against Christian employees at the university.
Andrew
Moses, a security guard at the University, told our correspondent, “We saw
strange faces stationed at Academic Department housing the university
management staff, including the Vice Chancellor. When we inquired about their
mission, they simply said, ‘We are here for jihad against Christians in the
university.’”
Mr. Moses
said he and other guards quickly alerted the university’s head of security who
immediately called the police.
A lecturer
at the university who sought anonymity told our reporter that there had been
longstanding tension at the university, with Muslim students accusing the
former Vice Chancellor, James Ayatse, of favoring Christians in filling
academic and non-academic vacancies.
The lecturer
said today’s crisis boiled over when Haruna Kaita, recently reinstated as the
Vice Chancellor by a court order, set to resume in office. The university’s
Governing Council had earlier fired Mr. Kaita over allegations of financial
mismanagement.
According to Saharareporters, Mr. Kaita
mounted a legal challenge to his suspension in court, and won a verdict
ordering the Governing Council to reinstate him.
According to
our academic source, “Professor Kaita came to the university with a group of
Muslims who threatened to deal with any Christians working at here,” referring
to the Federal Government-owned university.
He said the
Muslim students backing Mr. Kaita also mobilized other Muslims groups from
Dutsin-ma town to support their mission of unseating Christians in the university.
One source
told our correspondent that Samuel Zumve, the interim chairman of the Academic
Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU), hastily mobilized some Christian
students who came together “prepared to defend their Christians fellows in the
university.”
Our
correspondent learned that police officer had been deployed around the
university to forestall religious violence in the town and the university.
Despite the police presence, the chairman of the university Senate, Bichi,
ordered immediate closure of the university until normalcy returns.
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