Students of ICT Adegbenro Polytechnic, Ogun State, staged a protest on Tuesday after an armed robbery attack left one final-year student dead and several others injured, reigniting concerns over persistent insecurity around the institution.
The protest, which saw students block the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, caused hours of traffic disruption as they demanded urgent intervention from the Ogun State Government and security agencies. Demonstrators accused authorities of failing to address recurring attacks on students living around the Eruku community near the institution.
According to the students, the overnight robbery claimed the life of a Higher National Diploma (HND II) Marketing student, while another female student suffered severe injuries after attackers reportedly mutilated her ear. A male student who sustained a gunshot wound is receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre.
Many of the protesters described the latest incident as part of a growing pattern of violent attacks targeting students travelling to and from the campus. They insisted that previous complaints to relevant authorities had not produced lasting security improvements.
In response to the incident, the institution postponed examinations scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. A statement signed by the Chairman of the Timetable, Examination and Academic Calendar Committee, Gideon Adekunle, said the decision was taken to honour the deceased and allow affected students time to recover emotionally before resuming academic activities. Examinations are expected to continue on Friday, while a new timetable for the postponed papers will be announced later.
Students’ Union Government President, Comrade Owoigbe Blessing, appealed for urgent government intervention, saying the absence of adequate security around the school had exposed students to repeated attacks.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Ogun State also condemned the incident. Its chairman, Comrade Olabode Faruq Success, called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to deploy more security personnel and establish permanent police and local vigilante patrols around tertiary institutions across the state. He warned that students should not lose their lives while pursuing education.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that officers had been deployed to the area to monitor the protest, describing the demonstration as peaceful while discussions with the students continued.
