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Solabomi Shoaga
Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State have raised the alarm over the incessant attacks by suspected gunmen .
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that some female students of the institution have been raped and robbed of their valuables by a gang of armed robbers .
One of the students who spoke on anonymity said “On Saturday night, the unknown gunmen struck again, they broke into buildings to rob, they fired shots, broke the burglary proof to gain entrance into buildings.
” One of the students was hit by a bullet in the eye. They raped female students and made away with their valuables. We are crying out for help. We have been on this for over a week now. Nobody is doing anything about it. Some of our girls were raped, houses were destroyed. We don’t know what is happening. Nigerians should come to our aid”
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that a number of the students have fled the school environment for their various homes as there seems to be no help in sight.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that landlords in students-dominated areas in Ilaro met on the 12th of April to take some decisions on the security exigencies in the Ogun West ancient city in which it was resolved that all Community Development Associations (CDAs) in Ilaro must hire night guards and students must obtain tenancy forms.
However, The Director of Students Affairs in a statement obtained by PLATFORM TIMES assured the students that the choas would end very soon
The statement read “Great Nigeria students. On behalf of the rector and the management team I want to truly identity with you particularly on the recent ugly development of robberies in the community’
“Furthermore, we have escalated the issues to traditional council and the local government All security agencies are collaborating to curb the menace. The CDA, CDC and other stakeholders have been charged to rise against the evil and satanic beings disturbing the peace of our communities”
“Later this week, the students union body will be constituted and join the struggle. It is a collective struggle against these satanic forces. Once again, I assure you with all sincerity that very soon the battle will be over. Please don’t stay late in the night beyond 10pm, lock your doors firmly and promptly report suspicious movements to the numbers provided. Your lives and property matter to us”
Also, the Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Azeez Adeyemi while contacted confirmed the incident; saying, however, that he could not substantiate the claims of rape.
Adeyemi added that the state government is making all efforts to nip the crisis in the bud, adding that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) are working together to stop the attack on students of Ilaro polytechnic.
He disclosed that that their would be a meeting with the Ogun Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, later on Sunday to find a lasting solution to the problem.
“We are not leaving any stone unturned to put an end to the matter. We are on it already. NANS is also on it. We are equally meeting with the CP tonight. So, we are on top of the matter.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, did not answer calls to his phone.
