The University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State has ordered the immediate evacuation of students from its hostels amid rising security concerns following a deadly attack in a nearby community.

At least 28 people were killed and several others injured on Sunday in Angwan Rukuba, a community adjacent to the university in Jos North Local Government Area, after gunmen suspected to be bandits struck the area. The incident triggered widespread outrage on social media and prompted the state government to impose a 48-hour curfew in the LGA.

Joyce Lohya Ramnap, Plateau State Commissioner for Information, said Governor Caleb Mutfwang strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric and unprovoked.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Emmanuel Madugu, Deputy Registrar (Information and Public Relations) at UNIJOS, confirmed that two students and a staff member of the university were among those affected by the attack.

As part of precautionary measures, the university management postponed its 120th inaugural lecture, originally scheduled for Tuesday, and relocated the venue of the 50th induction ceremony for its pharmaceutical students.

On Wednesday, Madugu announced that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Tanko Ishaya had directed the immediate evacuation of all students due to the “general security situation” in Jos. “In view of the general security situation in Jos, and particularly the near-chaotic scenarios that unfolded today in areas near the university, which heightened tensions and threatened the safety of students in the hostels, the Vice Chancellor has directed the immediate evacuation of students,” the statement read.

The evacuation is being supported by the state government, which has provided transport services to facilitate the movement of students even during curfew hours. Students residing within Jos and its environs are being evacuated from 3:00 pm Wednesday, while those whose parents live outside the state capital will be moved from 8:00 am Thursday.

Adequate security measures have been deployed to safeguard the hostels and the university at large. “The Vice-Chancellor assures the university community that management is exploring all available measures to ensure the safety of the university,” Madugu added.

Earlier, UNIJOS had suspended all examinations scheduled for the week, rescheduling them after the Easter celebration due to the prevailing security concerns.