Editorial: Security of OAU students’ lives and properties at stake, a wake-up call to management, police.

[Picture used to illustrate robbery attack]

One can’t feign ignorance of the recent threats to security of lives and properties in Ile-Ife environs, particularly in the student-dominated places, except one wants to be a hypocrite. Students and residents of these robbers’ den cannot sleep with their two eyes closed for the fear of being burgled or losing their lives to the attack. With the foregoing, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, with 72% of her students living off-campus, seems to be unconcerned even after losing a student to a robbery attack few weeks ago.

The fact that the school has lost more students to insecurity in 2018 than it has done in the last 4 years is worrisome and it should not be taken with a pinch of salt. Ranging from the death of one Mr. Omoboriowo at New Bukka to the murder of Mr. Babatope at Adam and Eve, a hostel facility outside campus.

On several occasions and at different times, top officers of the university have promised that the management will build more hostels to accommodate students displaced as a result of the stringent accommodation policy but not even a block of hostels have been built on campus as at this time. The only laudable feat after the implementation of the policy is the cosmetic renovation done to the existing halls of residence. If there’s something to be given utmost concern at all, it should be the security of those staying outside the school pending the construction of these new hostels, if they (university officials) actually want to build more.

Students and students' bodies have cried for the intervention of the school in conjunction with the police to put an end to this mayhem against lives and belongings but these students have been tagged wailers and false-alarmist. The issue of porous security outside campus have not been properly addressed. Probably they will take necessary actions after the community would have lost hundreds of students to robbery attacks.

It is so disheartening that the school does not have enough security apparatuses to combat this security challenge. It’s no longer a news that the security vans are in their old ages and the school has not deemed it fit to replace them. It should be noted that the walkie-talkie and the ancient guns used by these school night guard are not enough to militate against the bandits. It’s no gainsaying that the school security personnel are incapacitated to fight robbery. Hence, a collaboration with the police force is expedient.

It will not be a misplacement of priority if the police can establish police posts at places along Ede road and Ibadan road, where these attacks have been on the high side recently. For what essence is a law enforcement agency if the purposes of establishment, security of lives and properties are not achieved? The force has not been pro-active in their approaches.

The Area Commander of the Ile-ife command once told this news outfit that the police force is poorly funded and there’s a limit to the actions to be taken owing to lack of necessary ammunition and other necessities.

We are very sure the school is aware of these lacks and should have taken a proactive step by calling on the federal government for funding and the equipping of the Ife command for anti-robbery operations. Instead, the school for public relations' reasons, have tried several times to conceal necessary information just to pretend as if all is well. Whereas, the situation is worse than they paint it.

OAU KILONSHELE news outfit is writing this because the life of every student matters and we won’t wait till we lose a huge number of students to these unfortunate occurrences. This is not a time for the management to witch-hunt student activists but to reflect on the present and provide a lasting solution to the concerns raised.