Gulu University has accused security agencies in Gulu City of failing to protect students after a second-year student was killed by unknown attackers near the main campus.
John Bosco Ngire, a Bachelor of Education student majoring in English, was attacked at about 4am on Saturday near the university’s Faculty of Agriculture and Environment in Laroo-Pece Division. He was allegedly hit on the head with a stone. It is not yet known where he was coming from at the time.
University spokesperson James Ojok Onono said repeated attacks on students living in hostels around the campus showed negligence by the city’s security team, despite police and military installations nearby, including the army’s Fourth Division headquarters.
“If the city security team have been sleeping about the security of the students or thought it didn’t matter, they should wake up,” Onono said.
He noted that the university’s more than 7,000 students are a key part of Gulu City’s economy and deserve protection. He said the university could appeal to President Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba if the attacks continue.
No arrests yet
Peter Banya, the deputy Resident City Commissioner for Laroo-Pece Division, said no one had been arrested in connection with Ngire’s death and that investigations had begun.
Banya blamed the rise in crime around the university partly on transport problems. He said police and the RCC’s office lack vehicles, which limits patrols and slows responses. His own official vehicle, he said, was recalled by the Office of the President after reaching its servicing mileage limit and has not been replaced.
He also urged students to take responsibility for their own safety, questioning why the student was outside at that hour.
Second killing in five months
Ngire’s death comes less than five months after Christopher Nyeko, a laboratory technician at the university’s health centre, was killed near St Peter’s Catholic Church, a short distance from the main campus, in the early hours of May 22. Police said at the time that he had been attacked while walking home and that some of his belongings were taken.
University management, led by Vice Chancellor Prof George Ladaah Openjuru, was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss security around the campus. Security officials had also promised an update on the investigation the same day. CampusBee has contacted the university and police for the outcome and will update this story.
Ngire’s body was taken to the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital mortuary.
Staying safe after dark
Onono advised students to move in groups rather than alone, especially at night. Lectures generally end around 6pm, but the university library stays open until 10pm.
CampusBee joins the Gulu University community in mourning John Bosco Ngire.
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