GUNMEN AGAIN ATTACK OOU STUDENTS’ HOSTELS, STEAL CAR, PHONES IN OGUN
Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
Panic has gripped students of Olabisi Onabanjo University after armed hoodlums reportedly invaded hostels occupied by students of the College of Engineering at the institution’s Ibogun Campus in the early hours of Friday.
The attack, which is the second reported incident in less than two weeks, was said to have been carried out by about seven armed men who stormed the hostels between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.
According to reports, the gunmen fired sporadically and threatened students before dispossessing them of valuables, including mobile phones and a black Lexus ES 350 belonging to one of the students.
At least 15 students were reportedly affected during the operation.
Confirming the incident, the President of the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association, Oluwafemi Aderupatan, lamented the growing insecurity around the campus community.
“The armed robbers, about seven of them, attacked students in their hostels in the early hours of Friday,” Aderupatan said.
“They were shooting and threatening to kill the students. They robbed about 15 students of their phones and also went away with a black Lexus ES 350 belonging to one of the students.”
He disclosed that the students contacted the police during the attack, but security operatives reportedly arrived after the hoodlums had fled the area.
“We actually called for police intervention and they came around after the robbers had left, but the deed had already been done,” he added.
Aderupatan blamed the repeated attacks on what he described as the absence of a strong security presence around the campus and surrounding communities.
“We are also of the strong opinion that if there had been a strong security presence, these hoodlums would not have been having a field day and the effrontery to terrorise the students,” he stated.
The student leader further expressed disappointment that security measures earlier promised by the police, school management and community leaders after a similar attack two weeks ago had yet to materialise.
“We are equally not happy that the police post and robust security architecture that the police, the school management and community leaders promised to put in place about two weeks ago when we had a similar armed robbery incident have not become a reality,” he said.
According to him, the criminals were exploiting the weak security structure in the area.
“Once we have good security presence, like a military base or a functional police post, the challenge will become history,” he added.
Aderupatan appealed to Dapo Abiodun to urgently intervene and improve security around the campus environment.
“We can’t continue to live in palpable fear or keep losing our valuables to these criminals. Enough is enough,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed that investigations had commenced.
“I can however confirm that the matter is under investigation and the police are already acting on the information available,” Odutola said.
“The Ogun State Police Command takes every security concern within the Ibogun campus environment seriously, and efforts are ongoing to ascertain the facts surrounding the report and take necessary action where required,” she added.
The latest attack comes barely two weeks after another reported invasion in which about 12 armed men allegedly attacked students in their hostels, injured some victims and carted away valuables, including a vehicle and mobile phones.
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