By Samuel Agbelusi
When Tomilola Adesanya, a student of Ondo-owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko received distressed burglary of hostels off-campus calls in Osogbo (her hometown), she thought ‘my villa was saved’ due to her landlord’s assurance, but little did she know that her properties were gone.
The sun was scorching when she arrived at her villa only to discover that her gas, bed, and clothes were all gone. “The robbery was carried out around June,” her helpless landlord narrated.
Adesanya at regular intervals visited her hostel located in the Medoline in Akungba since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had embarked on strike, but only to find she had lost properties worth N100,000.
“I left Osogbo in the morning. When I got to my hostel, I opened my door and my room was a mess. My box, my gas, my pots and everything were gone, including my clothes and bed. I have two beds, only one was left and already drawn to the back of the door.
“They did not break the door— but what I noticed was that the glass was removed and the net and I burst into tears immediately. Where do I want to start? Where do I want to get money to replace all that was stolen?”
“I cannot say if it was a student or an indigene, I do not know,” she told UNIONNIGERIA, with tears rolling down her eyes.
Adesanya told The Union Nigeria that people claimed it was someone who knew her that broke into her room and carted away her belongings.
Adesanya blamed the lingering ASUU strike for her loss. “It is as a result of the strike that they were able to carry out their plan and it hurts that this happened to me.
“I’m sure people wouldn’t have dared to steal from the hostel if there were so many people around. I blame the ASUU strike for this that has happened.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on February 14, 2022, embarked on a strike to press home their demands including the revitalisation of public universities, earned allowance, improved funding of state universities, and promotion arrears.
More loss
Recounting his ordeal, Emmanuel Olotuja, a student at the University of Ibadan disclosed that his hostel in the Tollgate area of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was broken into and properties were whisked away.
Olotuja said other students’ rooms were broken and their belongings were stolen. “I was not in school. I was in Lagos when a friend of mine called to inform me about the situation”, he narrated via a telephone conversation.
“There are suites in my hostel, they stole from some people’s rooms but did not steal from mine. They tore my net and opened my mirror to check if I had valuables. No one knew the exact day the robbers operated,” he said.
He said his landlord took action by getting the hostel new security personnel.
Another student, James Akinola, whose hostel was in the Ijesha area of Ago Iwoye, said valuable properties such as generators, home theatre, and television were stolen.
Akinola, a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) noted that other students’ rooms were also broken and their belongings were stolen.
He said: “I was not in school, it was my friend who called to inform me about the situation. I had to leave Ibadan to confirm the incident myself.
“I do not know the particular day this happened, but other rooms were affected and at the moment I don’t know where to start from.”
Student Union Reacts
The Student Union Government of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in a telephone interview with The Union Nigeria said it had taken steps to address the issue.
The Union executive, who doesn’t want his name in print said, “the strike has caused a lot of loss and damage to students— action has been put in place to ensure our hostels are safe even in our absence.”
In the same vein, the Student Union Government of AAUA expressed concern over the issue and revealed that steps had been taken to address the situation. “The executive body of the union has ensured that all landlords must ensure there is adequate protection in their various hostels,” the Union said.
Expert reactions
Meanwhile, Mr Adewole Abitogun, an education expert in Ogun state expressed that long absence of students can cause invasion by hoodlums into their various hostels.
He said “The ASUU Strike has birthed a lot of negativity which one of them is hoodlums burgling into students hostels. This is mostly done by the people of the host communities.”
“However, community policing should be put in place to protect lives and properties of the students to avert such incidents.”
Also, Mrs Susan Umoh, a lecturer at Federal University of Education Ondo, believed that the host communities have a role to play to ensure the safety of the properties left by the students.
She said, “if the community is watchful and protective of the environment, hoodlums will not gain access and take away students’ properties in their absence.”
“The host communities have a role to play in ensuring the safety of property of the students,” she said.
