By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Ogun State Government and security agencies a 72-hour ultimatum to rescue the five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade (GAPOSA), who were abducted by gunmen, warning that failure to act will trigger a statewide peaceful mass protest.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the NANS Secretary-General, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman, appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, to ensure the immediate rescue of the kidnapped students and improve security around tertiary institutions across the state.
Uthman said the ultimatum became necessary following what he described as the worsening insecurity confronting students living in off 0campus communities, which he said have become flashpoints for kidnapping, armed robbery, violent assaults and cult related activities.
He cited the recent abduction of five GAPOSA students and the killing of a female student, Ahmed Sekinat, during a robbery attack at D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori. He added that another student who sustained gunshot injuries during the attack is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.
According to NANS, the security challenges extend beyond the two institutions, noting that students residing in host communities around Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, have also been exposed to repeated security threats.
The student body lamented that previous efforts to engage security agencies through strategic meetings yielded no response, describing the authorities’ silence as a lack of concern for students’ welfare and safety.
Despite its concerns, NANS commended the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Riliwan Disu, for deploying an operational police aircraft to strengthen aerial surveillance and intelligence gathering in Ogun State. The association also praised Governor Abiodun for seeking additional federal security support to facilitate the rescue of the abducted students.
However, it insisted that such interventions must produce immediate and tangible results. The association demanded the unconditional release of the kidnapped students and the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for both the abduction and the fatal attack at D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic within 72 hours, beginning Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
NANS also called on the state government to send a high powered delegation to condole with the family of the late Ahmed Sekinat, ensure adequate medical care for the injured student, and establish the Ogun Security Agencies Student Leaders Relations Forum (OGSASLRF) to strengthen collaboration between security agencies and student leaders.
It further urged the immediate deployment of the Ogun State Anti-Violent Crime Team to campus corridors, increased security patrols, and the establishment of permanent security posts in high-risk student residential areas.
The association warned that if its demands are not met within the stipulated period, it will embark on sustained peaceful protests across Ogun State.
NANS also appealed to Students’ Union Governments, staff unions including ASUU, ASUP, COEASU and NASU, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and civil society organisations to mobilise for the planned protest, noting that the venue for the demonstration would be announced in due course.
