WE LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF ROBBERS, SAY OAU OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS

WE LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF ROBBERS, SAY OAU OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS

Following the killing of one Abiodun Babalola, a 300-level student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in the early hours of Sunday by armed robbers, many students of the institution living outside the campus have shared their experience in the hands of the men of the underworld, who constantly attack them.

Babalola suffered machete cut at an off-campus hostel named, ‘Adam and Eve’, located in Parakin, Ede Road, Ile-Ife, for allegedly refusing to surrender his iPhone to the robbers, who attacked residents of the hostel.

Many students of the institution, who spoke to our correspondent on the incident and the plight of many residing off-campus, said areas with large student population often experience frequent attacks by robbers.

The areas include Mayfair, AP, Aserifa, Ibadan Road, Ede Road and Parakin.

Investigations showed that robbery attacks on students of the university became rampant when squatters were sent out of hostels within the campus by the management of the institution at the beginning of the 2017/2018 academic session.

The development subsequently led to an increase in the number of students living outside the campus as well as rise in rents in areas close to the campus, where many of the students took up accommodation.

A student in the Faculty of Engineering, who lives in the Mayfair area, Tobi Olagunju, told our correspondent that two weeks ago, he lost personal belongings to some thieves, who accosted him while he was returning home around 8.30pm

“I was returning home after a group discussion with some of my classmates. It happened exactly two weeks ago. The men were holding knives; they accosted me and demanded my phone and power bank, which I was holding. I promptly released the items to them and they didn’t hurt me,” he stated.

A student in the Department of Management and Accounting, Faculty of Administration, Laura Ozegbe, who resides in a hostel on the Ede Road, while narrating how her residence was attacked by robbers, said, “It was on May 30, 2018, between 1am and 3am; they came in a car and parked at a neighbour’s house.

“They scaled the fence that we shared with the neighbour and entered our house. The robbers came with shotguns and literally split the door of my room into halves.

“My room was the last one to be robbed and they took away my phone and that of my sister. They later asked us for money but we didn’t have, so they cocked their guns and threatened to shoot us if we didn’t give them money.
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“After much pleading, they eventually left with the phones and a laptop. Till date, I am still scared every night. Even though the door to my room is now made of steel, it still doesn’t take away my fear.”

But a student in the Department of Linguistic and African Languages, Hafsoh Isiaq, who resides at the Mayfair area, said she had never experienced an attack by robbers, but added that she had heard stories of how students residing in the area were robbed.

The experience of Ojetola Olawale, a 100-level student in the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, who also lives outside the campus, was different, as he claimed that he had been robbed twice since he resumed in the school.

He said, “I live off-campus in the AP Area. My first experience was a few days after I resumed as a fresh student. Because of my inability to secure a bed space in the hostels on the campus, I went to stay outside the campus for some days and we were robbed by gun-wielding men and our phones were stolen.

“No one was killed because all of us surrendered to them. I experienced another robbery incident a day before I left Ife for the Christmas holiday but no one was killed. The management of OAU needs to increase security presence in areas with large student population or provide sufficient accommodation for us on campus.”

Another student in the Faculty of Education, Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Ayodeji Dosumu, said many of his friends living outside the campus had fallen victims to robbery attacks.

He added, “This issue of incessant robbery attacks became more pronounced when majority of the students were sent out of the hostels on the campus. Me and most of my friends fear to stay out late, because of the several cases of robberies we have heard of.

“A case of robbery beside my hostel along the Ibadan Road at Adesanmi bus stop is known to many people. The house is known for persistent visits by robbers every year.”

He added that one of his friends had suffered two robbery attacks in the last seven months, noting that such cases were now regular in areas like Aserifa, Parakin and Mayfair.

He expressed concern that despite reports of armed robbery attacks lodged with security agents, there had not been significant efforts to curtail the activities of the hoodlums.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, OAU, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said the  management had been providing security for students residing on the campus and helping those in hostels provided by private individuals and organisations.

He added that the management could not do much to provide security for students living outside the campus, since the nation itself was grappling with many security challenges.

Olarewaju said, “We are doing our best to ensure that our students live and study in a secure environment. But for those living outside the campus, it is impossible for us to provide security for them.

“Security issue is a major challenge that the nation is grappling with. We are making efforts to provide more accommodation for our students on campus.

“Three of the hostels built by our partners will soon come on stream. Four others will also join. The Vice-Chancellor spoke about it extensively during our last convocation. We are doing our best to provide more accommodation for our students on campus, because that is the only way out.”

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