Barely a week after an alleged kidnap incidence in the University of Ibadan, some men reportedly struck one of its hostels, carting away property, and physically assaulting some female students. This was said to have happened yesternight, shortly after a power cut.

Updates later ...

Meanwhile, this redirects to the kidnap incidence:
https://www.nairaland.com/5284301/updated-gunmen-abduct-two-females

An eye witness (names witheld) said a similar incidence happened last session, claimed that it's been an yearly occurrence with little or nothing done about it till date.

This morning, I woke up to the news that some unscrupulous elements, heavily armed with guns, machetes, and some other dangerous ammunition, raided Obafemi Awolowo Hall in the University of Ibadan around 1 am, with their activities taking place around Block B and C of the largest female hall of residence in sub-SAHARA Africa.

There were several allegations of students sustaining injuries. One particularly reports that a lady was also raped during the robbery.
The University management, security, and porters could not do anything to arrest the situation. It is in fact reported that some girls opened their doors willingly because they thought the porters were back to continue an audit that had been going as at 11 pm that night.
Despite the fact that this robbery was on for more than 30 minutes, there was no intervention. It should not take the UI Abefele (security) more than 10minutes to drive from their post beside the Senate chamber to the scene of the robbery. But in their typical lackadaisical attitude to the real threat to student lives and properties, it took them over 1hour to surface at the scene when properties of the students had been carted away and a number had been injured. The University security, Abefele, arrived exactly 1 hour 15 minutes after the operation, around 2:15 am. They certainly lived up to their nickname coined by students, Abefele, a blunt knife that is every bit as redundant and ineffectual.

The University management is always quick to send security operatives to disperse Congress of harmless students whenever they want to resist oppression but they become suspiciously deaf to the agonies of students facing real threatening situations. The management had earlier banned the operation of motorcycles in the school, tagging it to be one of the greatest tools that aid robbery and bag snatching on campus. A move that has heavily inconvenienced students and staff of the institution.
Now, what would the excuse be? What happens now when thieves got away despite the UI heavy security, heavy security that has been systematically victimizing students for years?

THE ISSUES
A mind that knows is a mind that is free:
There is a fee tagged ”student insurance welfare scheme” on all student fee invoices which means every student has been insured. So, the stolen laptops, money, phones and other valuables ought to be refunded back to the students. Since they were robbed while sleeping in the ”safe” haven of their rooms in the university hall of residence.

Also, the university security system has to be reviewed. How ineffective can both the Abefele and vigilantes be, especially when the actual need for them is crucial?

I remember in 2013 when Obafemi Awolowo hall was robbed. I was the students' union president then. That night, we were having an overnight music concert in Independence hall when we got the call around 12 is. I called my exco members, (Fela, Opayne, Sagacious, etc) and friends, Kenny Martins( my CSO, Afeez Gbolagun from Faculty )and we stormed Awo Hall to rescue the situation. In the end, we were able to stop the situation. Those thieves fled without succeeding because of the solidarity of students, because students had leaders who swore to protect them.
That was because we had a union.
Mr. Vice Chancellor Sir, Please reinstate the union to avoid issues like this, to allow students to have basic rights and privileges on campus.

Asiwaju Babatunde Badmus(BB)
UI Students' Union President
2012/2013 session.

Lalasticlala