The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed deep concern over what it described as an alarming wave of insecurity across tertiary institutions in Nigeria, following reports of kidnappings, armed robbery attacks and killings involving students within the last 24 hours.
The National President of NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, made the call in a statement on Tuesday, urging the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to adopt more proactive measures to safeguard students and educational institutions nationwide.
According to the NANS President, three students of the Federal University Lafia were reportedly kidnapped within the last 24 hours, while the female hostel at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, was allegedly invaded by robbers, raising fresh concerns over the safety of students on campuses.
Akinteye also lamented the robbery incident at DS Adegbenro Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State, which reportedly claimed the lives of four students, describing the development as heartbreaking and unacceptable.
He said the series of incidents reflected growing security challenges confronting tertiary institutions across the country and called on the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, to urgently strengthen security architecture around campuses and student communities.
The NANS President stressed that institutions of higher learning should remain centres of knowledge and innovation, not environments where students live in fear of kidnappers, armed robbers and violent criminals.
He urged the Police to intensify intelligence gathering, increase patrols, deploy more personnel to campuses and adjoining communities, and improve emergency response capabilities to prevent further attacks on students.
According to him, security measures should not be limited to the campuses alone but should also cover hostels, off campus residences, access roads and neighbouring communities where thousands of students reside and carry out their daily activities.
Akinteye noted that while NANS appreciates the efforts of security agencies in combating crime, recent incidents underscore the urgent need for more preventive policing capable of stopping attacks before they occur rather than merely responding after lives have been lost.
He warned that the continuous exposure of students to kidnapping, robbery and violent crimes poses a serious threat to the nation’s education sector and could undermine public confidence in the safety of tertiary institutions.
The student leader therefore appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to act decisively by ensuring improved surveillance, sustained patrols and stronger collaboration with school authorities and local communities to guarantee the safety of students.
“We want proactive results and more secure campuses across the country,” Akinteye stated, insisting that every Nigerian student deserves to pursue education in an environment free from fear, violence and criminal attacks.
