"Bucket Man" an ABU student's nightmare

BUCKET MAN: ABU STUDENTS NIGHTMARE
It s almost four years now and ABU students are still groaning under the pain and agony this bizarre situation has brought, and for those years all efforts to bring the situation under control has made little or no difference. It still remains an enigma among ABU students and every body’s prayer is that one day a
higher authority will come to their plight.

It all started about four years ago when around 2am in the morning, shouts were heard in the direction of one of the female hostels. The shouts woke the entire university community up and within minute’s students and security officers’ gathered at the front of Ribadu hostel to see what the shout was all about. Many
thought it was a fire outbreak, and many boys who had been looking for opportunity to enter the female hostel were happy that at last the Golden Fleece to see what their girlfriends’ hostel looks like was in their hands, and trust them they made the best use of the opportunity. The female hostel was filled to capacity with students and security men all scampering to avert what looks like a fire outbreak. They were however met with disappointment as it was not a case of fire outbreak. What then could have caused the shouts? Many asked. Their curiousness was however met with bewilderment as everyone listened to the sad
but sordid tale “two students had been raped right in the hostel” “this is really strange” replied one of the security men. Immediately everybody scrampled to see who on earth would have performed this despicable act. Frantic search was immediately launched round the expansive Ribadu female hostel but all efforts
proved abortive. Many wondered how anybody could have managed to enter the female hostel with the heavy security presence at the two gates leading to the hostel; the school authority has always ensured adequate security of lives and property of the students especially the females. The affected students were
immediately rushed to the schools Sick Bay for treatment. Immediately, the school authority went into full investigation on what happened. When one of the affected students was asked to recall what happened, she went thus “I was fast asleep in my room when I noticed some strange movement, I immediately woke up
and I saw a strange man with black cloth fully masked, I initially thought I was dreaming but then the reality of real life dawned on me when despite my shouts my roommate did not wake up, then I knew I was in for real trouble, the rest was history as the man pounced on me”. Some of the female students who saw the man
after finishing with his second victim said they actually saw a man dressing like a female with a female hijab holding a bucket as if going to fetch water. They actually thought it was a female student but the way he was walking made them realize it could not have been a female student, they immediately raised
alarm which woke every student up, those that were afraid to see a male in a female hostel immediately ran to call the security operatives on duty while the bold ones among them ran towards the strange being to catch whoever it is disguising as a female in the hostel, before they could catch up with him, he
disappeared right in their presence. This caused greater pandemonium which resulted in the shouts that woke up the whole school community. Four years down the lane bucket man has become a household name among the students of ABU. The name is synonymous with rape, theft and other vices. Though
the school has tried their best possible to bring the situation under control, students are still not happy. Hardly a week passes without the story of bucket man entering the female hostel. Many female students have fallen victim of this strange man. At a point it stopped and students heaved a sigh of relief that at
last the issue has been brought under control, but recently bucket man came calling. It is now believed that bucket man is not just one man. “There are many people involved in this despicable act” said a student.


Recent development
A circular by the school authority that bucket man has been arrested made students pound with joy. Four years of nightmarish, traumatic, horrendous, terrible occurrence has been brought to the fore. Another circular pasted round the school made their joy short-lived, many had thought a man of such a terrible
act that had brought untold agony to students would either be sentenced to death or better still life imprisonment but alas he was charged to a sharia court and given some strokes of cane according to sharia law or an option of fine. Many students who bared their mind to CAMPUSLIFE said they were not happy with this development as they expected a stricter measure to be taken on this issue. Even
after he was nabbed and brought to book, another incident of his attack was recorded in Ribadu hostel. Also two other of such men were nabbed at the kongo campus sometimes last year clearly indicating that it is not just one person at work but a group. For now (at least since the beginning of the semester), the situation seems to be under control has there has not been any reported case of any attack by Bucket man.
Students Reaction
Many students believe the issue of bucket man is not physical but spiritual. “Whoever this creature is comes with spiritual power in order to overpower his victims” said one of the students who does not want to be named, she continued “or how can you explain a student’s being attacked by bucket man in a room
shouting and her roommates cannot hear her shouts”. Bucket man is also linked with disappearing whenever he is about to be caught. Many also believe bucket man or men as the case may be are sponsored by some powerful people in the town and use the ladies being raped and materials being stolen for fetish purposes.
According to student who does not want to be named “the school has a great part to play to stop this menace, they should work on getting lights in every part of the hostel and security need to be reinforced to protect students”. Another student who also prefer anonymity said “the school authority should do
everything possible to stop this despicable act, enough is enough of bucket man
menace”