About seven armed hoodlums reportedly raided hostels held by students of the College of Engineering, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ibogun campus for the second time in less than two weeks, in the early hours of yesterday.
The gunmen reportedly fired sporadically before carting off the students’ possessions including a car and several mobile phones.
At least 15 students are believed to have been harmed by the latest security breach to hit the college in recent times, reports suggest.
The hoodlums were claimed to have been on the run for almost two hours between 1am and 3am before making off with a Lexus ES 350 which belonged to one of the pupils.
Our correspondent had the incident confirmed yesterday by the president, Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association, OOU, Ibogun, Oluwafemi Aderupatan.
Aderupatan said the attacks were due to the absence of significant security presence in the area, adding that thieves have continued to disturb the serenity of students and cart away their goods.
‘The armed robbers, roughly seven of them, targeted students in their hostels in the early hours of Friday,’ Aderupatan informed our correspondent.
They were shooting at the students and threatening to murder them. They stole phones from roughly 15 students as well as a black Lexus ES 350 belonging to one of the pupils. We actually phoned for police intervention and they arrived around after the robbers had fled but the damage had been done.
“We strongly feel that if there was a strong security presence, these hoodlums would not have been having a field day and the effrontery to terrorise the students.”
He regretted that the police and the school management had not yet provided the security facilities promised following the first incident.
“We are also not happy that the police post and robust security architecture that the police, the school management and community leaders promised to put in place about two weeks ago when we had a similar armed robbery incident have not become a reality.
The simple truth is that these hoodlums are just taking advantage of the absence of a substantial security presence. Once we have a good security presence such as a military installation or a competent police post, the problem will be history.
“We are only appealing to Governor Dapo Abiodun to come to our rescue. We can’t keep living in dread or have our valuables taken by these thieves. “That’s enough,” he added.
The spokesperson of the command, Omolola Odutola, when approached for reply, said the Ogun State Police Command has commenced an inquiry into the incident.
“But I can assure that the situation is being investigated and the police are already working on the evidence available.
The Ogun State Police Command is treating any security challenge raised in the Ibogun campus area with all seriousness and efforts are ongoing to ascertain the fact surrounding the report and take necessary action where required.
Two weeks ago, 12 gunmen allegedly attacked some students in their dormitories, wounding some of them and taking away a car, phones and other belongings.
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