A female student of D.S Adegbenro Polythenic, Itori, Ewokoro, have been shot dead while other students also sustained varying degrees of injuries during a midnight robbery attack that occurred in Eruku community, Ogun State.

Among those attacked were another female student, who suffered a cut to her ear, and a male student who was hospitalized after sustaining an injury from the gun shot

 

The Guardian learnt that the deceased student was an Higher National Diploma(HND) 2 student of Marketing department and was to find her exam in few day.

 

However, a protest broke out on Tuesday as the students of the institution took to the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to express their grievances over the killing of their fellow student and attack that left several others injured.

 

The students, who scattered about the section of the Expressway in front of their schools blocked the road, disrupting traffic and commercials activities in the area as they left commuter and motorist stranded for hours.

 

Speaking during the protest, The SUG President of the Institution, Blessing Owoigbe, said said that the attack was due to insufficient security measures for students at the area, calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun led administration to come to toe aid of the students and stop reoccurrence of the menace.

 

Owoigbe expressed regret that the final year student lost her life, while another female student sustained serious injuries after her ear was cut and a male student shot is still receiving medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre(FMC) Abeokuta, due to the robbery attack.

 

“It happened at midnight. One of the final year student from HND 2 Marketing got killed, another female student got injured, they cut her ear and another guy that is at FMC at the moment was shot.”

 

“Please we need the full support of the government, there’s no security. If there was security this wouldn’t happen to this extent. This is not the first or second time or even the third time at Eruku.”

 

Reacting to the incident, the NANS Secretary General, Oladimeji Uthman, in a statement signed by the student body described the incident as “heartbreaking and a direct assault on the future of our nation” and a painful reminder of growing security challenges facing students across Ogun State and the country.

 

The student body declared a state of emergency in Eruku Community, advising students with alternative accommodation to temporarily relocate “until the security situation has improved and the relevant authorities have implemented adequate measures to guarantee the safety of lives and property.”

 

NANS also urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to strengthen security measures around all tertiary institutions in Ogun State and student communities through collaboration with security agencies, institution managements, local government chairmen, traditional institutions, and student leaders

 

NANS extended condolences to the family of the deceased, and to the management, staff and students of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori.

 

“Education should never become a journey of fear or a pathway to death. Every Nigerian student deserves to study, travel to and fro campus and reside within host communities without the constant threat of violence or criminal attacks.

 

In view of the prevailing security concerns, NANS National Secretariat declare state of emergency in Eruku Community advising students residing in the community to vacate the area,” the statement said.

 

It further called on heads of tertiary institutions in the state to review existing security strategies and work with security agencies and student leaders to improve safety on and off campus.

 

Expressing concern over persistent complaints from students in Eruku Community, Ewekoro LGA, NANS called on the Eleruku of Eruku Community, Oba Kolawole Edunjobi Adifase, and other community leaders to “take immediate and visible steps to reassure students” by publicly condemning criminality and cooperating with law enforcement.