“Phones are being stolen. Monies wiped from accounts. Hostels broken into. Students severely injured,”
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have raised alarm over a surge of armed robberies in student hostels off-campus, recording at least 30 incidents in just two weeks.
In a statement issued May 28, the Students’ Union said the security situation in Ile-Ife has “deteriorated at an alarming rate,” leaving many students physically, emotionally, and financially devastated.
“Phones are being stolen. Monies wiped from accounts. Hostels broken into. Students severely injured,” the statement read. One student was reportedly macheted and is in critical condition.
Despite reporting cases to police, students say response has been poor due to a lack of functional vehicles.
The Union called on federal and state authorities to provide patrol vehicles and deploy tactical units to affected areas.
“If these demands are not treated with urgency, we will have no choice but to escalate our actions,” the statement warned.
It concluded: “We can no longer live in fear. We demand action. We demand safety. We demand justice.”
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