By Temitope Adedeji
No fewer than four female students of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Ondo State have been reportedly raped by armed men who frequently rob the university community.
The students had on Friday trooped out enmass to register their displeasure over incessant attacks in their hostels, threats to their lives and properties as well as rape of their colleagues by hoodlums suspected to be coming from neighbouring towns and villages.
Our reporter gathered that the students, during the peaceful protest, partially blocked the Okitipupa-Igbokoda road, disrupting free-flow of traffic on the route to register their grievances.
The displeasure was deeply registered during the confirmation by the students union president Damilola Okunomo, that the students were tired of the level of insecurity in the area.
He said the hoodlums rob them of their valuables like phones, laptops, gadgets and rape female students at gunpoint.
Mr Okunomo added that four female students were raped two weeks ago, alleging that the institution’s management was not doing enough on the security of lives and properties of students.
“We are tired of this insecurity, armed hoodlums usually come to our off-campus hostels, rob students at gunpoint, and also rape our female students,” he said.
“The school management is not to doing enough as we are the ones securing ourselves by working as vigilantes most times, the situation is terrible.
“We urge the school management to do its best in securing us and complete all the uncompleted hostel accommodations in our campus as this will also guarantee our security,” Okunomo said.
Another student told newsmen on condition of anonymity that she and her colleagues had to relocate to squat with a friend because of the activities of burglars and rapists. She said they threatened to use charms on them.
“There was a night they came to our resident, they stole our phones, laptops and wounded one of us. We reported the incident to the Police and the Amotekun Corps without any action, instead they were demanding bribes from us before they can carry out their jobs.”
Reacting, Ilemobayo Oguntimehin, Dean of Students Affairs of OAUSTECH, said that the school management was doing its best to secure the lives and properties of the students.
Meanwhile report says the Olusegun Agagu University Of Science and Technology, Management has declared a two-week mid-semester break due to the insecurity.
