NANS Condemns Deaths At Ondo Varsity As Another Student Is Killed

By Ayodele Oni

Coming less than a month after two students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba- Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, were killed by suspected kidnappers, a female undergraduate of the Institution has allegedly been hacked to death by her boyfriend.

The latest situation forced the students of the University to take to the streets of the community on Saturday to protest against the alleged killings of their fellow students by the indigenes of the town.

This came barely three weeks after two students of the institution Andrel Okah of the Department of History and International Studies  and John Abba of the Department of Economics were  abducted and killed by some persons, some of whom had been been arrested by the police.

However, the mastermind killing has reportedly died in the police custody.

The protesting students alleged that the latest incident happened to one Joy Adeyemi of the Department of Human Kinetics of the institution.

She was suspected to have been murdered on Tuesday by her boyfriend who has fled the community. The alleged killer is said to be an indigene of the town .

During the protest, the angry students, who were chanting various solidarity songs, carried placards with inscriptions such as, ‘At Akungba Akoko, say no to students’ killings,’ Stop killing us, AAUA students,’ The state government should intervene in the killing of AAUA students,’ among others.

One of the protesters, who simply identified himself as Kunle, stated that the deceased had been killed by her boyfriend who since Tuesday,  locked her inside his room, stating that it was neighbors  that raised the alarm to call attention of the students when they perceived bad odour from the room.

He said ” We are yet to know the reason the guy killed that lady. The lady operates POS in that area, but since Tuesday, she has disappeared and nobody knew her whereabouts untill yesterday when the neighbours perceived bad odour,that they discovered she has been stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

“It is high time the state government do something about the killings of our students by the indigenes of this town. If nothing is done, this may lead to a serious crisis in this community.

“You remember that some weeks ago, two of our students were also kidnapped and killed . So something has to be done.”

In the same vein, the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) Joint Campus Committee, in a statement condemned the dastardly act and called on the security agencies to bring the perpetrator to book .

The statement was signed by the chairman and secretary of the committee Comrade Adekanye

Adeboye and Oladele Emmanuel respectively.

The statement read, “The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Council, Ondo Axis is appalled and deeply saddened by the recent wave of killings targeting students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.

“While the student community is still grappling with the tragic loss of two students who were brutally killed in the university, another female student fell victim to this senseless violence just yesterday.

“As a body saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the general affairs and welfarism of all Nigerian students, we strongly condemn these heinous acts and demand immediate action from the Ondo State Government and all security operatives responsible for safeguarding lives and property within the state.

“The incessant killings are  clear indication of a security lapse that must be addressed urgently.

” In light of these tragic events, NANS issues a 24-hour ultimatum to the Ondo State Government and all relevant security agencies to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of these crimes,  implement robust security measures to prevent further attacks on students and ensure the safety and security of all students within the university and its environs.”

According to the statement, the NANS demanded accountability and serious actions to protect the lives of its members, saying failure to comply with 24-hour ultimatum “would leave us with no other option than to mobilize all students structure across the country down to Ondo state and stage a massive peaceful protest and until our demands are met.”