- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, have been abducted by suspected gunmen following invasion of their hostel along Paraga Road, Ipara-Remo.
The assailants carried out the attack and abduction at about 7:45pm on Wednesday.
This reportedly occurred less than 24 hours after a final year female student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, was killed during an overnight robbery in the Eruku area of Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to reports, the armed men stormed the off-campus hostel and operated for about 30 minutes while firing gunshots indiscriminately.
They thereafter whisked away the victims.
While confirming the incident, the management of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, in a notice, announced the suspension of examinations slated for Thursday.
The polytechnic’s management urged the student community to remain calm and continue preparation for their examinations.
“Following the unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday, today’s examination has been cancelled. However, tomorrow’s examination remains scheduled as planned.
“If there is any change regarding tomorrow’s examination, an official announcement will be communicated promptly.
“For now, all students are encouraged to remain calm, stay positive, and continue preparing for their examinations. We are hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon.” The notice read.
Also confirming the incident, the Students’ Union Government,in a statement jointly signed by its President, Akinpelu Bukunmi Timothy, General Secretary, Salau Boluwaduro Saidat, and Public Relations Officer, Matthew Francis Sonayon, narrated how the incident occurred.
The union described the hostel as being in an unsafe location.
“At approximately 7:45 p.m., suspected armed bandits attacked a private student hostel located along Paraga Road, Ipara. The hostel is situated in a remote area surrounded by thick bush, making it vulnerable and unsuitable as a safe residential environment for students.
“The attack lasted for approximately 30 minutes. Due to the isolated location of the hostel, residents in surrounding areas were unable to hear or respond to the incident in time.” The statement partly read.
Meanwhile, the SUG noted that no life was lost during the attack, adding that some of the students in th3 hostel escaped through the POP.
They said the matter had since been reported to the police.
“During the attack, the assailants fired gunshots; however, no student lost their life.”
“By the grace of God, several students escaped through the POP ceiling, while others were unable to flee. We can confirm that five students were abducted during the incident.
“The matter has officially been reported to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies, and we are confident that immediate efforts are underway to ensure the safe rescue of the affected students.” The statement read further.
The SUG urged students, parents and members of the public to disregard unverified reports circulating on social media.
“While the incident is real and deeply unfortunate, many of the stories currently in circulation do not accurately represent the facts and only serve to create unnecessary fear and panic within the school community,” the statement added.