Panic spread across the University of Jos (UNIJOS) community on Tuesday after the headless body of a middle-aged man was discovered on a farmland in the institution’s premises.
A 300-level student of the university, Pius Atok, told Vanguard newspaper of the discovery.
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“The body was found this morning on a farm around the university community. From what we gathered, the victim was neither a student nor a member of staff of the university,” Mr Atok said.
A senior university official, who also spoke to Vanguard off the record because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said preliminary findings indicated that the deceased was a farmer known in the area for regularly cultivating crops on the farmland.
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“The victim is neither a student nor a staff member of the university. He is known to people around the area because he usually comes there to farm. We believe he came very early this morning, as he normally does.
“What actually happened is still unclear, but from the nature of the attack, it appears those responsible came specifically to kill him and made away with his head,” the official said.
The official added that the victim’s relatives had been contacted and arrangements were underway to evacuate the body. He also said the university management was aware of the incident and would issue an official statement through its Information Directorate.
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Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to obtain comments from the spokesperson for the police command, Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls and messages before the time of filing this report.
The latest incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Plateau State. As PREMIUM TIMES reported on 3 July, troops of Operation Enduring Peace repelled an attempted attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, killing one suspected attacker. The military later announced additional arrests linked to the incident as investigations continued.
The discovery also follows a series of deadly attacks across Plateau, including the 13 July assault on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area, where suspected gunmen killed nine members of a family, including a two-month-old baby, underscoring persistent security challenges in parts of the state.
