adminOne student has been reported dead while nine others injured in an alleged armed robbery attack on students of the Gateway Polytechnic (ICT), Sapaade, Ogun State.
According to information obtained by OgunWatch, the attack which took place in the early hours of Saturday targeted students staying at the off-campus hostels of Sapaade, namely Ode, Ipara, and Isara.
This attack comes barely a week after the management closed the school for three days after students protested the rape of female students last week.
Concerning the increasing tension around the student communities, Abiodun Alamutu, the Commissioner of Police, had met with the leaders of the student body as well.
However, the suspected robbers returned to Ode, one of the communities in the early hours of Saturday and attacked students.
According to a source the gun wielding hoodlums invaded the students’ hostel around 3am and unleashed terror on them, adding that the attack which took place in the Larufi area of Ode left one dead and nine others injured including a landlord.
In some of the viral clips of the attack, our correspondent observed shattered doors, broken windows and walls riddled with bullets.
It was gathered that the robbers used heavy stones to break some windows to force their way into the hostels.
“I heard a gunshot around 3am and when I woke up this morning, I was told they shot nine students and one landlord. They were taken to the hospital, but one died.
“They stole a car in order to escape,” one of the students told our correspondent.
Speaking to a senior lecturer at the polytechnic who confirmed the attack said six were shot of which one died.
“According to the story I heard, the guy that was shot (dead) is not our student, he graduated last session hopefully expecting to come back for his HND next session,” the lecturer said.
Describing the incessant attacks on students as unfortunate he noted that the government had deviated from the agreement between the State and Citizens.
“It is quite unfortunate that the government has deviated from the agreement between the State and Citizens. Protection of lives and property are nothing to write home about in this country where our environment is not left out,” the lecturer said.
The Police Spokesman, Omolola Odutola, has not responded to calls and messages from our correspondent as of the time of this report.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Adedayo Folorunsho, also declined comment on the attack.
She, however, said “the security agencies should be allowed to do their jobs.”
Meanwhile, the student union of the polytechnic has passed a vote of no confidence in Governor Dapo Abiodun over the security challenges in the students’ communities.
“Sequel to the incessant robbery attack on the student of the Gateway ICT Polytechnic Saapade, student Union and students leaders of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade are exhausted with what we described as unattainable promises, miscalculated and undue priorities on insecurity by the ADMINISTRATION of Governor Dapo Abiodun and the security apparatus within the axis of Ipara, Ode, and Isara,” reads a statement signed by Olatunji Idowu Alexander, President of the Students’ Union (SUG).”
“As the student union body we expect that the institution which is just a few minutes drive to the Governors personal residence should be dearly to the heart of the Governor in providing adequate security for the environment.
“The students have lost confidence in the deliverables of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun as it concerns students safety, they strongly condemn the absolute negligence and drastically too slow pace of responsibilities towards these concerns.
“The poor security systems, that has resulted in cases of rape, theft, killing of students, robbery, assault and destruction of properties on campus and around. The learning conditions for students in the campus have become unbearable.”
