Students from various tertiary institutions in Ondo State took to the streets of Akure on Thursday to protest the rising insecurity across the state, particularly the increasing cases of kidnapping.
The demonstration, organized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Committee, Ondo Axis, saw students marching through major roads carrying placards with inscriptions demanding urgent government intervention.
The protesters expressed frustration over the worsening security situation, calling on authorities to take decisive action to protect students, especially those undergoing the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in remote locations.
The students carried placards with various demands, including: Immediate implementation of student-centered policies, Renovation and equipping of institutional facilities, construction and rehabilitation of hostels.
Others are ; Fulfillment of the government’s promise to procure student buses, support for student entrepreneurship and skill acquisition programs, justice for the recent attack on NANS members in Ogbese, and the inclusion of student representatives in education policy-making.
Addressing the protest, a NANS representative decried the lack of action from the government:
“The attack on our members at Ogbese remains unaddressed. We will not stand idly while students are left vulnerable and neglected. The government must act now before this issue escalates further.”
The students also warned that failure to meet their demands could lead to further demonstrations, stressing that they would not relent until concrete measures are taken.
As pressure mounts, all eyes are now on the government and security agencies to respond to the students’ demands and restore confidence in the state’s security system.
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