A final-year student of the Gombe State University, GSU, is battling for her life after a knife-wielding intruder allegedly broke into a female hostel on campus and attacked her in the early hours of the morning.

The incident, which occurred inside one of the university’s female hostels, has triggered outrage among students and renewed concerns over security lapses within the institution. Multiple students and staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity described the attack as “terrifying” and “avoidable,” alleging that security around the hostels had been weak for months despite repeated complaints.

According to several students in the hostel, the assailant gained access to the building under unclear circumstances and made his way to the victim’s room while most occupants were asleep. The victim, identified by students as a final-year undergraduate in one of the social science-related departments, was reportedly alone in her room when the intruder confronted her with a knife.

One student who lives on the same floor said they were jolted awake by a sudden commotion and screams for help. She recounted that the victim’s cries echoed through the corridor as the attacker allegedly attempted to stab her multiple times. Neighbours rushed out of their rooms, but many were too frightened to immediately intervene, unsure if the intruder was acting alone or if others were involved.

“We heard her shouting and calling for help,” the student said. “At first, some of us thought it was a normal hostel quarrel until we heard her screaming that someone had a knife. People started banging on doors and running up and down. It was chaotic.”

As panic spread, a group of students reportedly mustered the courage to approach the room, shouting to alert others and to scare off the attacker. Witnesses say the intruder fled the scene before hostel security personnel could arrive, leaving the victim bleeding from multiple cuts.

The injured student was rushed to the university clinic and later transferred to a larger medical facility in Gombe for more intensive treatment. Hospital sources and students familiar with her condition say she sustained deep lacerations but survived the initial attack. She is said to be receiving treatment and remains under close medical observation.

In the aftermath of the incident, students accused the university’s security unit of negligence, claiming that the attacker should never have been able to access the female hostel so easily. Several residents alleged that perimeter fencing around parts of the campus is either incomplete or poorly lit, and that some entry points are not consistently manned by guards.

“We have been complaining about security for a long time,” another female student said. “Sometimes the lights around the hostel go off and we are left in darkness. People jump the fence. We see strange faces around the hostel area, especially at night. This attack did not just happen out of nowhere. It is a result of ignoring our complaints.”

Students also raised questions about the hostel’s internal security arrangements. Some claimed that checks on visitors are often lax, particularly during busy hours, and that there have been previous incidents of theft and harassment that were not thoroughly investigated.

“If someone can enter a female hostel with a knife and attack a student, then we are not safe,” a final-year student said. “We are supposed to be focusing on our exams and projects, not wondering if someone will break into our rooms at night.”

Following the attack, tension reportedly gripped the campus as news of the incident spread rapidly through social media and student messaging groups. Parents and guardians began calling their wards, demanding explanations and assurances of safety. Some students said their families were already considering withdrawing them from the hostel accommodation if security is not urgently improved.

In response to the growing outcry, the university management convened an emergency meeting with security officials and hostel administrators. While an official statement from the institution was still being awaited at the time of reporting, sources within the university said the management had ordered an internal investigation into how the intruder gained access to the hostel and why the attack was not prevented.

Security personnel have reportedly increased patrols around the female hostels and other residential areas on campus. Additional lighting is said to have been restored in some previously dark spots, and students reported seeing more uniformed and plainclothes security operatives in the vicinity after the incident.

Law enforcement agencies in Gombe have also been drawn into the matter. Police sources confirmed that they received a report of an attack on a female student at Gombe State University and that an investigation was underway. Officers are said to be working with the university’s security unit to identify and apprehend the suspect.

Investigators are exploring several possible angles, including whether the attacker was an outsider who breached the campus perimeter or someone with prior access to the university environment. Some students speculated that the intruder might have been familiar with the hostel layout, given the speed with which he located and exited the building.

Women’s rights advocates and student groups have seized on the incident to call for broader reforms in campus security and the protection of female students. They argue that the attack is part of a wider pattern of vulnerability faced by young women in educational institutions, where inadequate security, poor lighting, and weak enforcement of access controls create opportunities for violence.

Student leaders are demanding the installation of functional CCTV cameras around hostels, stricter visitor registration procedures, regular security audits, and a clear protocol for emergency response. They also want the university to provide counselling and psychological support to the victim and other students traumatized by the incident.

“This is not just about one student,” a student union representative said. “It is about every female student who sleeps in fear. We need a system that prevents this from happening again, not just promises after something terrible has already occurred.”

Security experts note that universities across Nigeria have long struggled with balancing open academic environments and the need for tighter security. Many campuses have expanded rapidly without corresponding investment in surveillance, trained guards, and controlled access to residential areas. In some cases, hostels are located near unfenced or poorly monitored boundaries, making them vulnerable to intruders.

For the victim and her colleagues at Gombe State University, the immediate concern is recovery and reassurance. Friends of the injured student say she had been preparing for her final examinations and working on her project, looking forward to graduation. The attack has now cast a shadow over what should have been the culmination of her academic journey.

As investigations continue, students and parents are watching closely to see whether the university and security agencies will not only identify and prosecute the attacker but also implement lasting measures to protect those who live and study on campus. For many, the knife attack inside a female hostel is a stark reminder that the promise of education cannot be separated from the basic guarantee of safety.