The students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have demanded better security to curb robbery attacks on students residing off-campus, particularly in Moremi Estate.
In a statement released on Tuesday by Great Ife’s Students’ Representative Council, and co-signed by its Speaker, Awe Ademola, Deputy Speaker Nasir Hameed, and Clerk Ayeni Deborah, condemned what it described as “a climate of fear and uncertainty” across student communities in Ile-Ife, following a spate of violent robberies targeting students.
The council alleged that around 11 pm on Sunday at Oreoluwa Hostel in Moremi Estate, Ife, students were attacked, dispossessed of their valuables, and left injured.
“This is not an isolated event; it is a continuation of a frightening trend that has persisted for far too long while those responsible for protecting lives and property fold their arms in shameful silence,” the statement read.
The council demanded “immediate and decisive action” from Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, and the Divisional Police Officer of Moore Division, noting that students’ lives “are not expendable.”
When contacted, the Osun Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command is not aware of the robbery, and he advised the students to make complaints to the nearest police station for documentation. “I am not aware of such an incident in Ile-Ife, if they had reported to the nearest division, I would have been informed.
“The affected students should go and report so we can take action on it. The estate should also get guards for additional security,” Ojelabi concluded.
