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The Ogun State Government and security agencies have been given a 72-hour ultimatum by the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) to rescue five abducted students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade.
To arrest those responsible for the killing of a student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, and fight the insecurity around the varsities in the state.
The students’ body warned that it would embark on sustained peaceful protests across Ogun State if its demands were not met within the stipulated period.
The student body also called on the state government to send a delegation of respected people to console the family of Ahmed Sekinat, the Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic student killed during a robbery attack.
Another student receiving treatment for gunshot injuries at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta should also be visited.
Oladimeji Uthman, the Secretary-General of NANS, made these demands on Wednesday during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat in Abeokuta.
According to him, students across Ogun tertiary institutions now live in fear because of persistent cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, cult violence, rape and other criminal activities.
At the conference, Akinpelu Timothy, the President of the Students’ Union Government of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, was present; Kehinde Bamgbose, OOU University Students’ Union President, was also in attendance; Okunuga Opeyemi of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, and other student leaders were present.
Uthman 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.”
“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.
Uthman, however, commended the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, for deploying an operational police aircraft to strengthen security operations in the state, noting that the move would enhance aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering and rescue efforts.
“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.
