The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ogun State Government and security agencies, demanding urgent intervention in the growing wave of insecurity affecting students across the state.
The association wants the authorities to rescue the five Gateway ICT Polytechnic students who were recently abducted, apprehend those responsible for the killing of a D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic student, and implement stronger security measures around tertiary institutions.
NANS warned that it would mobilise students for peaceful protests across Ogun State if the demands are ignored after the deadline expires.
The student body also urged the state government to send a delegation to sympathise with the family of Ahmed Sekinat, who lost her life during a robbery attack, and visit the injured student currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.
The demands were announced on Wednesday by the Secretary-General of NANS, Oladimeji Uthman, popularly known as “Dan Fodio,” during a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat in Abeokuta.
Student leaders from Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Olabisi Onabanjo University, D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic and other institutions attended the briefing.
Uthman said students in Ogun’s higher institutions now face constant security threats ranging from kidnapping and robbery to cult-related attacks and sexual violence.
He said:
“The recent abduction of five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, the killing of a female student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, and repeated armed robbery attacks around Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, underscore the worsening security situation in the state.
“For far too long, students have continued to live in fear. The safety of lives and property on and around our campuses has been grossly threatened by armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, cult-related violence and other criminal activities. Students can no longer move freely, attend lectures or return to their hostels without fear of attack.”
The NANS secretary-general said previous attempts by the association to meet with security agencies over the deteriorating security situation were unsuccessful because the agencies failed to honour the invitations.
“It is deeply regrettable that despite the growing insecurity across off-campus hostels in our tertiary institutions, the National Association of Nigerian Students wrote to all heads of security agencies in the state requesting a strategic meeting to discuss practical and lasting solutions.
“Regrettably, these requests were not honoured. This refusal to engage with the legitimate representatives of Nigerian students has frustrated genuine efforts aimed at finding collaborative solutions while students continue to suffer armed robbery attacks, kidnappings, violent assaults and loss of lives,” he said.
While acknowledging the deployment of an operational police aircraft by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, with the support of Governor Dapo Abiodun, Uthman insisted that more comprehensive action was required to secure campuses.
He stated:
“Consequently, NANS issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ogun State Government, the Ogun State Police Command, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant security agencies to rescue the abducted students, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the murder of the D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic student and bring all perpetrators of violent attacks against students to justice.
“Failure to meet these demands within the stipulated 72 hours will leave the national students’ body with no option but to commence sustained peaceful mass actions and statewide protests until justice is served and adequate security is guaranteed for every student in Ogun State,” he said.
Among other recommendations, the association called for more security patrols around campuses, permanent security posts in vulnerable student communities, deployment of the Ogun State Anti-Violent Crime Team to tertiary institutions, stronger cooperation between school authorities and security agencies, and the establishment of a forum to improve communication between student leaders and security agencies.
The ultimatum comes after a series of attacks involving students in Ogun State, including the killing of a student during a robbery attack in Itori and the kidnapping of five students from a private hostel in Ipara Remo. Police authorities have said tactical operatives are working to rescue the victims.