For the second time in less than two weeks, about seven armed hoodlums in the early hours of Friday reportedly invaded hostels occupied by students of the College of Engineering, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ibogun campus.
The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically before dispossessing the students of their valuables, including a car and several mobile phones.
Not less than 15 students were reportedly affected by the latest security breach plaguing the institution in recent times.
The hoodlums were said to have operated for about two hours between 1am and 3am before escaping with a Lexus ES 350 belonging to one of the students.
The President of the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association, OOU, Ibogun, Oluwafemi Aderupatan, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Friday.
Aderupatan lamented that criminals had continued to disturb the peace of students and cart away their valuables, blaming the attacks on the absence of strong security presence in the area.
Speaking with our correspondent, Aderupatan said, “The armed robbers, about seven of them, attacked students in their hostels in the early hours of Friday.
“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. We actually called for police intervention and they came around after the robbers had left, but the deed had already been done.
“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 lamented that the police and the school management had yet to provide the security facilities promised after the first attack.
“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.
“The truth is that these hoodlums are only exploiting the absence of strong security presence. Once we have good security presence, like a military base or a functional police post, the challenge will become history.
“We are only calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun to come to our rescue. We can’t continue to live in palpable fear or keep losing our valuables to these criminals. Enough is enough,” he added.
When contacted for reaction, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said the command had launched an investigation into the incident.
She said, “I can however confirm that the matter is under investigation and the police are already acting on the information available.
“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.”
About two weeks ago, 12 gunmen reportedly attacked some students in their hostels, injuring some of them and carting away a car, phones and other valuables.
(Punch)
