Students in Ogun State now worry more about safety than schoolwork. Armed gangs have stepped up attacks in Remo North, targeting students with robberies, kidnappings, rape, and killings, according to report by Daily Post Nigeria.
Blessing, an HND 2 student at The Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, said the criminals now use a new method. They force one student to knock on other doors at night. “I avoid staying out late because they’ll go to someone’s door. Once the person opens, they’ll take them to the next door and make them call out their neighbor,” she said. In Ipara, a girl once screamed for help, but no one went outside. By morning, gunmen had held a gun to a woman’s daughter’s head and emptied her bank account.
Last month, five Gateway ICT Polytechnic students were kidnapped on the Isara-Ode road on their way from a restaurant. They stopped for men with torchlights, thinking they were police. The men were kidnappers.
Between 2009 and 2026, the school has recorded at least 105 robberies and 21 student deaths. In 2023, students protested after two students were killed, nine were shot, and a female student was raped in Ode, Ipara, and Isara. “We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed,” protesters said. The school closed for three days. Then-SUG President Olatunji Idowu gave the state government seven days to act.
The crisis has reached other campuses. In April 2026, about 12 gunmen invaded hostels at Olabisi Onabanjo University’s College of Engineering, Ibogun, stealing phones and laptops. Two weeks later, seven armed men returned, robbed students, and drove off in a Lexus ES 350. NUESA President Oluwafemi Aderupatan blamed poor security.
In 2023, four TASUED students were raped during a robbery in Abapawa. Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele visited the victims at OOUTH, Sagamu. “Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is of utmost importance,” she said. In July 2024, two first-year TASUED students were robbed and raped off-campus. Police arrested 33-year-old Olayemi Shedrack for rape and theft from female students at Royal Villa.
After a student was killed and five others kidnapped, Gateway ICT Polytechnic held an emergency security summit. The abducted students were later freed by police. Rector Dr. Sanni Oseni called security a shared duty. “We must all be vigilant, informed, and committed to fostering a safe and secure environment,” he said.
Dean of Students’ Affairs Adedayo Musari said a student was shot dead while blocking robbers from his hostel. “The bullet hit him in the chest. While attempting to escape, he fell into a gutter, and the robbers shot him in the leg,” he said. From 2009 to 2026, Ipara recorded 15 deadly robberies, Isara had 32 cases with five students killed, and Ode Remo saw 58 robberies with 16 deaths. Musari urged landlords to screen tenants. “Just 3 months ago the police arrested 72 guys around 3 a.m., and we later discovered that only 15 of them are bonafide students,” he said.
He also accused some commercial motorcyclists of helping criminals and named Pakiama in Ode-Remo a “no-go area” where suspects hide. “Whenever a criminal enters the area, he or she will be rescued or hidden,” he said, calling on Police Commissioner Bode Ojajuni to act.
Ode-Remo Development Council Chairman Olufunso Afolabi said student lives “are not negotiable.” He demanded more security officers, street lights, cameras in crime spots, tighter rules for off-campus housing, and fast-response units. He also wants youth programs to fight joblessness, drug abuse, and crime.
Security consultant Kunle Sodipo said students sometimes attract attacks by showing wealth. “Putting on your generator from morning to night or from midnight to day break you are telling them that you have enough money,” he said, citing students with iPhone 17 or Samsung Galaxy Fold phones. “When you have something, enjoy it quietly.” He urged the state to work with the National Orientation Agency on safety education and add security lessons to school curricula. “It’s cheaper to be proactive than to be reactive,” he said.
Police spokesperson DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said Commissioner Bode Ojajuni has ordered commanders and DPOs to work non-stop with community leaders, schools, and students. Recent operations stopped a cult initiation and led to robbery arrests. A new police post will open near OOU Ibogun.
“The School Protection Squad in synergy with the Gateway Shield platform continues to enhance rapid response and student protection,” Babaseyi said. He asked students to report threats through the platform or police emergency lines.