By Shehu Uthman
For three months, Sanusi Akanbi, a 200-level Zoology student, oscillates helplessly between his hostel and the security office. The reason? He would later tell this reporter how his Android phone was taken from him and remained locked away at the security office throughout the examination period. What had started as an investigation into a stolen phone had transformed from a quest for justice into a personal ordeal that affected his academic performance and mental well-being.
Ceasing Sanusi’s phone during exam period meant he lost a vital study tool. "I didn't have enough time to read because I would go and meet them at the office before they let me have access to my phone," he whined.
The constant and repeated voyage to the security office disrupted his study schedule and added unnecessary stress during an already demanding period. During an investigation into phone theft, the victims are usually traumatized, and the hope of a recovery usually permeates the victim's mind. But according to Sanusi, the psychological burden of being treated as a suspect is equally damaging. “Many innocent people are subjected to suspicion and inconvenience while the real perpetrators face minimal consequences,” Sanusi explained.
“The trouble began when a fellow student, who frequently visited our room to charge his phone because his friend was my roommate, reported his phone stolen.” What should have been a straightforward investigation quickly devolved into what Sanusi describes as a frustrating exercise in selective justice.
"What frustrated me most during the investigation process was that they collected my phone but didn't collect others' phones," Sanusi recounted.
They allowed some of his roommates to go home for the holidays without finishing the investigation. They equally refused to give him his phone earlier. “Though I eventually collected it before going home for the holidays. He even lied about the type of phone he was using.”
The situation became so unbearable that Sanusi had to involve a professor at the university before the security officers finally released his phone. By then, significant damage had already been done.
"My phone was with them during the exam, and I didn't have enough time to read because I would go and meet them at the office before they let me have access to my phone," he explained. "I had to read whatever I wanted to read there while they were talking.”
The Bigger Picture
While there is no comprehensive public data on security incidents on the UDUS campus, the volume of student complaints suggests a systemic problem. A 2023 survey of Nigerian universities by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) found that over 60% of students in federal universities reported dissatisfaction with campus security services, citing delayed responses, unprofessional conduct, and unresolved cases as primary concerns.
Research conducted by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in 2022 revealed that 47% of university students reported experiencing stress-related symptoms due to security concerns on campus. Of these, 23% specifically identified interactions with security personnel as a significant source of anxiety.
Research in psychology has established that experiences of unfair treatment can have significant mental health impacts, including increased anxiety and stress, loss of trust in authorities, feelings of powerlessness, and academic disruption. A 2021 study published in the Nigerian Journal of Psychological Research found that students who experienced perceived injustice from campus authorities reported significantly lower academic motivation and higher rates of depression compared to their peers who had positive interactions with university officials.
Struggles Persist Endlessly
Sanusi is not alone in his experience. Across the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) campus, we spoke with students who narrate their encounters with security personnel who have left them victimized rather than protected.
Abubakar Ismail Barde, a 400-level student from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, had his own story of frustration when his system was stolen from his room.
"The aspect that caused me the most frustration was the manner in which the initial investigation was conducted," Barde explained. "Before reporting the matter, we had already identified a suspect and provided his name to the security officers. However, when the suspect was invited, the officers immediately confronted him in a way that appeared accusatory rather than investigative."
Barde criticized the lack of professionalism he witnessed. "Rather than applying intelligence and discretion to gather facts, the officers appeared to take sides too early. This approach created unnecessary tension between us, the complainants, and the suspect and made it difficult to establish the truth objectively."
He acknowledged, however, that competence varies among security personnel. When the matter was transferred to another officer, the approach was markedly different. "He listened carefully, managed the situation calmly, and focused on finding the facts rather than creating conflict. I appreciated his professionalism and the way he conducted the investigation."
For Umar Chumo Abdullah, the pain was not just in the theft of his friend's belongings, which included a mattress, shoes, a mosquito net, a blanket, and plates, but in the lack of accountability that followed.
"We caught the yaro boy red-handed," Malan Chumo said. "The investigation went well to the extent that we recovered some items, while some are not up to date. But what pains me most was that the yaro boy wasn't punished or even warned."
More frustrating was the complete breakdown in communication after the initial investigation. "The security officers didn't feed us back. During the incident, they said we should go with the recovered items, and they would keep on investigating until they found the missing ones and feed us back. That is how they closed the case without any feedback."
Chumo also noted a troubling pattern in how cases involving yaro boys, and local young men often employed as domestic helpers, are handled. "They are too confidential when it comes to yaro boys' cases," he observed, suggesting a possible double standard in the application of justice.
Bello Shakirudeen Opeyemi, a 400-level student from the Department of English and Literary Studies, reported his stolen luggage—bag, mattress, pot, and a new fashion jogger. While officers managed to retrieve most items, the jogger remained elusive.
"They kept giving me excuses to check back the following day for more than a week until I got tired of going there," he said.
Opeyemi pointed to another systemic problem: the language barrier. "We weren't answered on time, and their level of understanding of my English was very bad. A Mallam had to follow them for an explanation in Hausa."
He also criticized the officers' handling of the suspect. "After getting the yaro boy, they released him and let him leave based on the belief that he would come back the second time with luggage. The yaro boy was released based on the fact that they knew his parents. They didn't follow the normal procedure of investigating the guy."
School Management Reacts
In an exclusive interview with Ishaya Kobah, the acting Director of Security, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, acknowledged that junior security officers lack formal training. "They don't have formal training, and don't be surprised if they are not treating cases with professionalism," he admitted.
Kobah explained the structure of the security unit. "Anyone we catch with any guilt, we would do our own part by investigating, and after all, forward the case to the school management and the disciplinary committee to play their own part."
He noted that security officers come from different academic backgrounds, and therefore, their experience and competence levels vary significantly. "So the security officers have different courses to offer before being recruited, which means some offer courses more relevant than others, and as such, experience might differ."
His advice to students was to remain patient and appeal to the main Security officers' office when dissatisfied.
"When you are not satisfied with their judgment, you should bring the matter forward to us at the Intelligence and Investigation office.”