From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Students in Ogun State have expressed concern over rising cases of rape and armed robbery in some tertiary institutions in the state, calling on the state government to stem the tide or risk a shutdown of school campuses.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the abduction and murder of students across the country, expressing fear that the trend might spread to Ogun State.

Speaking a press conference held in Abeokuta, NANS Ogun Chairman Kehinde Simeon said that the current rate of insecurity indicates that the government is inadequate in providing adequate security for citizens.

He threatened that students would not hesitate to shut down schools in the state over the spate of rape and armed robbery incidents in some institutions in the state.

Simeon complained that the students of Gateway (ICT) Polytechnic, Sapaade, and the Institute of Technology, Igbesa, now live in fear of abduction and armed robbery.

The NANS Chairman called on the state government to immediately summon all heads of security and tertiary institutions to a security meeting and proffer ways at preventing criminals from perpetrating evils on campuses.

‘This is high time for government at all levels to prove themselves as a friend of the masses and as friend of the students’ constituency through decisive, strategic and holistic actions.

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‘Issue of kidnapping of students on campuses should not be taking for granted, we condemn in its entirety the recent kidnap of students from Greenfield university in Kaduna State.

‘It is very pathetic that five of these students have so far been killed for a crime they know nothing about.

‘The function of every government of the world is to provide adequate security for lives and properties within its jurisdiction,’ he said.

Simeon appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to ensure the safety of the student community, stressing that all criminals found within the school premises should be flushed out.

‘All tertiary institutions in Ogun State be adequately protected and policed.

‘The state government should immediately summon all heads of security and tertiary institutions to a security meeting to proffer ways of preventing such occurrences in Ogun State. And a template of proper security be agreed upon at the end of the meeting,’ he added.

He emphasised that NANS and other student bodies would not hesitate to mobilise their members to ensure that all schools in the state are shut down until they can guarantee the security of lives of students.

‘We hereby issue a 7-day ultimatum to the Ogun State Government to do the needful. We shall be resolute at doing everything possible to safeguard our students and our campuses, irrespective of the circumstance,’ Simeon declared.