Varsity suspends exams as robbers attacked, raped students
Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ogun, has suspended ongoing second-semester examinations following Tuesday’s robbery and rape of four female students.
Suspected armed robbers invaded private female hostels of the school in the early hours of Tuesday, dispossessed the occupants of their valuables and allegedly raped four students.
The suspension of the examination is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by TASUED’s registrar, Mr Dapo Oke, and released in Abeokuta.
Oke explained that the institution’s security unit swung into action immediately when it got wind of Tuesday’s unfortunate incident, which took place at about 2 am.
“The university condemns, in strong terms, incessant attacks on students, particularly the dimension of rape. The university assures students, parents, and guardians of its efforts in conjunction with the state government and security agencies to ensure that the welfare and security of students remain a priority,” Oke stated.
The students’ community had been under siege by armed robbers in the past week.
A student who pleaded anonymity noted that robbery incidents had been recurring in the Abapawa community of Ijegun, where many of the students live.
She alleged that robbers also invaded a hostel of 22 rooms a few weeks ago,
Perpetrators Will Be Brought To Book – Ogun Govt.
Ogun State Government, has assured citizens of the state, particularly students of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) and the residents of Abapawa that it would do everything humanly possible to bring to book perpetrators of the unfortunate robbery and rape incident in the area, stressing that they would not go unpunished.
Giving the assurances was the State Deputy Governor, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele while paying a visit to the victims Who were students of the University at the State hospital, Ijebu ode, before they were moved to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu ensure proper health care and rehabilitation under the instruction of the state government.
According to Oyedele, the State Government was notified of the unfortunate occurence which happened during a Robbery incident at Abapawa area of Ogun State in the early hours of Tuesday 24th Oct 2023 by the Local Government Chairman immediately on instructions of the Governor, security operatives led by the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force were dispatched to the scene of the incident.
She indicated that the Commissioner of Police himself had personally been to the scene of the incident since it was first reported and was working assiduously to ensure the culprits are apprehended to face the full wrath of the law.
Speaking later at a meeting with the University management team, representatives of the student body, the Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu as well as Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Alamutu, Engr Salako-Oyedele stressed the need to forestall further reoccurrence as it was one of the worst crimes against humanity.
” I am on a fact finding mission to establish what happened and what could be done to support the victims immediately and subsequently, apprehend the criminals and of course, prevent such a thing happening again” she said.
The Deputy Governor Charged the school management to work with the concerned community, the police and the students to develop stakeholder engagements to put in place mechanisms that will guarantee that the lives and properties of the students who live off campus are secured.
She promised that the victims will be given the needed support, medically, morally and emotionally to ensure they overcome the trauma and lead normal afterwards free from stigmatisation of any kind.
The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, said the news of the incident was very disheartening one, promising the aggrieved students union Representatives that government would do everything humanly possible to apprehend the criminals.
Also speaking, the Chairman Odogbolu local government, Hon. Ladejobi Adebayo, said the present administration in the state led by Prince Dapo Abiodun is a responsive government, assuring students and management of the school that government will not fold it arms on the issue until justice is served.
The State Commissioner for Police, Mr Abiodun Alamutu, in his remarks expressed his heartfelt sympathy to victims of the ugly incident, attributing it to lack of synergy amongst the security personnel in the communities where students resides, while also assuring that the perpetrators would be put to book.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Tai Solarin University of Education, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adekunle Adeogun, said the school management was bitter about the incident, explaining that since the incident happened the school management have been doing all within its power to support the victims appealing to the state government for more support to nip further occurence in the mud.
In his comments, the Student union President TASUED, Comrade Akinjetan Hamed, expressed displeasure about the incident, saying there was need for the management of the school to put in place a strong security apparatus to curtail further occurrence as well as directing private hostel owners to put in place adequate osecurity measures in their respective hostels.
