By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), on Saturday, called on security agencies and the Ondo State Government to urgently address the rising spate of violence against students in the university community.
In a press statement issued by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) President of the university, Akeem Salami, and made available to newsmen, the union decried what it described as the “incessant killings” of AAUA students by members of the host community.
The statement follows a string of tragic incidents, including the recent gruesome murder of a female student allegedly by her boyfriend, who is said to be an indigene of the town.
The union recalled that just weeks earlier, two other students were kidnapped and later found murdered. According to the statement, investigations indicate that residents are the prime suspects in the cases.
Expressing deep concern and grief, the students’ body lamented that despite prior engagement with the police and community stakeholders, the killings have continued unabated.
In the most recent case, the decomposing body of the female student was discovered days after neighbours noticed a foul odour coming from a room. The suspect, who fled the scene, remains at large, although his mother has reportedly been arrested.
Describing the situation as “a threat to our collective existence,” the SUG issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Nigeria Police Force, the Ondo State Government, and other relevant authorities, calling on them to take decisive action and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We demand immediate intervention and protection for our students. If justice is not served swiftly, we will be left with no option but to embark on a mass protest to express our collective frustration and to ensure that these crimes come to a permanent end,” the statement warned.
The letter was copied to the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, the Nigerian Bar Association, and other key institutions.
The statement read: “We write to solidify our grievances in respect to the recent incessant killings of the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. We received the first shocking news of two students who were gruesomely murdered, having been kidnapped for days. We were further bewildered by the news that the primary suspects of the crime are indigenes. The matter was taken up, and the police were actively engaged in collaboration with important stakeholders within the Akungba community, hoping this unfortunate incident would not recur.
However, to our greatest surprise, we were rudely confronted with another terrible news of another student who was murdered by her boyfriend, who also happened to be an indigene of the host community.
”From what we have been able to gather, it was discovered that the student was gruesomely murdered, stabbed to death and left to rot in her room by her boyfriend for more than three days. The discovery of the body came after the neighbours noticed a strange odour oozing from the room of the student, which led them to break down the door of the room and discover the corpse of the lady that had already started to decompose. It has also been gathered that the boyfriend is on the run. Even though the mother of the perpetrator has been arrested, the criminal remains at large.
”On this note, the Student Union of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, is issuing a 24-hour Ultimatum to the State, the Nigeria Police Force and all associated bodies to come to the aid and stop the gruesome and incessant killings of the students in Akungba.”