Academic activities was seriously disrupted at the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, UAES, Umuagwo in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State, yesterday when fear of the menace of unknown gunmen gripped the school.
Since the new institution owned by the Imo State Government came into existence, two years, when it was converted from the Imo State Polytechnic, to its present university status, academic activities had been going on Mondays, people in the South East observe Sit-at-home.
But that of Monday was different as panic and fear enveloped the campus leading to emergency closure of academic activities in the school.
Trumpeta learnt that as usual every Monday, academic activities were on in the campus with management, staff and students milling around the premises with ease.
Suddenly, like a wild fire, information filtered into the campus about suspected sinister moves of unknown gunmen. The suspicion centred on a planned attack on the school based on yet to be confirmed information that the university community doesn’t observe Mondays Sit-at-home.
It was gathered that what may have also fueled the heightened tension was the deserted Owerri-Porthacourt road. Management of the school was said to have observed that vehicles ceased to observe traffic on the road where the university is located prompting staff and students to activate panic mode.
When it dawned on those at the campus that something is fishy, this newspaper learnt that tensed security operatives in the school ordered staff and students to quickly vacate the school compound as safety measures.
The directive from the school security officials further fertilized the suspicion that suspected unknown gunmen may have been worried about the non compliance posture which had spread fear that gripped the university earlier during the day.
Within split seconds of the directive asking everyone to leave the premises, tension enveloped the school with teachers who had commenced lectures earlier during the day stopping abruptly before staff and students pulled out of the premises for safety purposes.
Within thirty minutes of the information, the school was deserted as the premises became lifeless.
Efforts to reach the management of the school proved abortive as the chaotic situation made it impossible to reach any staff for comments.
