Students of Tai Solarin University, Ogun State, on Thursday protested the worrisome level of insecurity in the institution which has continued to endanger their safety.
PUNCH METRO on Wednesday reported that burglars raided a hostel, stealing valuables, siphoning money from bank accounts, and allegedly sexually assaulting four students.
This incident led to widespread unrest among the student population, with a commitment from the government to capture the culprits.
In reaction to the incident, the Students’ Union spearheaded a peaceful ‘walk against insecurity and rape’ to address the security challenges, raise awareness about the perils of sexual assault, and express solidarity with the victims. During the demonstration, students displayed placards bearing messages like ‘Ijagun needs security,’ ‘Students’ lives matter,’ ‘Don’t harm girls,’ ‘Say No To Rape,’ ‘Please save us from rapists,’ and ‘Stop gender violence,’ among others.
The Students’ Union President, Akinjetan Emmanuel, said the stand of the leadership of the Union is to have a secured students’ community and that “We want security personnel deployed to the University community, and we also plead for the resuscitation of the deserted police station at Abapawa for the purpose of safety.”
He stated, “Hopefully, the deputy governor helps us achieve everything tabled to her on Tuesday at the meeting.”
A student, Tofunmi Oranaiye, appealed to the Ogun State Government to provide adequate security for the school community.
“The robbery and rape operation is not happening to students for the first time, and the similar incident that happened before this at Imaweje community died down; we haven’t heard any progress on the case.
“We are no longer safe; even in my hostel, we are always vigilant. The nearest police station is at Igbeba, which is far from the school. There can’t be an emergency; you expect the cops to arrest the situation in a few minutes.
“The Government really needs to look into this. I am paying house rent, and I can’t even read in peace” ” she said.
Another student, Olarenwaju Daniel, said the higher authorities should enhance security measures to strengthen security protocols on and off campus.
“They should work closely with local security men and this may include increased patrol presence, improved surveillance systems, and stricter access control measures.”
A student who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Cultism leads to various menaces in our environment. The state government should deploy men of the Nigeria Police Force and other necessary security agencies to our institutions in Ogun State.”
