The management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has debunked a newspaper report of a gunmen attack on its campus in Sokoto, describing the report as false and malicious.
The school’s Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Isa, in a statement made available to newsmen, said the attack occurred a few kilometres away from the school.
The statement read, “The attention of the Management of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto has been drawn to a news item with the caption: ‘Gunmen Attack Usmanu Dan Fodio University, kill one, Others Hospitalised’ published on November 18, 2023.
“Ordinarily, the management of the university would have ignored the news item for what it is; false and unfounded, but perhaps for the malicious intent of the writer who seemingly wants to feed the gullible public with fiction to instill fear in the minds of members of the university community, we are forced to react to put the record straight.
“The truth is that Dundayen Bakin Gulbi village where the gunmen visited does not share the same community with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University. The village is about two kilometres away from the university, therefore an attack on the village cannot be said to be an attack on the university.”
The statement further disclosed that the university has well-coordinated security in place, by its good working relationship with the security agencies in the state on one hand and the internal security network within the university on the other.
“The university has built a long-standing cordial working relationship with members of the media over several decades, we believe that if there is any sensitive issue like the one reported by the newspaper, the reporter should have the courtesy as demanded by the ethics of journalism to contact the university management to get an official position before rushing to press.
“The university’s doors have always been opened for members of the media and wondered why the Vanguard reporter decided otherwise,” the statement added.
The statement, however, reaffirmed that Usmanu Danfodiyo University has not experienced any gunmen attacks.
“We urge members of the public to ignore the report for what it is; arrant false, malicious and figment of the reporter’s imagination,” the statement concluded.
