Ogun students block Abeokuta-Lagos expressway over killing of colleague

Students of DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State, on Tuesday blocked the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway to protest the killing of one of their colleagues during a robbery attack on a student community behind the institution.

The protest, which caused heavy traffic congestion along the busy highway, followed an overnight attack by suspected armed robbers on Eruku Community, where many students reside.

Videos of the demonstration circulated on social media as the students demanded improved security around the institution.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent, the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Goke Rafiu, said the robbers invaded about 15 houses in the community in the early hours of Tuesday, killing one student and injuring three others.

“What happened was that some armed robbers raided about 15 houses in Eruku where some of our students are living. The community is actually behind the school, and during the attack, one of the students was killed while about three others were injured,” he said.

Rafiu disclosed that one of the injured students had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, for treatment.

“We are currently in the community with police officers and members of the institution’s management team, including the Chairman of the Governing Council, Ambassador Toye Okanlawon, to chart the way forward,” he added.

The rector said the institution’s management had appealed to the protesting students to remain calm while the government, security agencies and community leaders worked to improve security in the area.

Following the incident, the polytechnic postponed examinations scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Timetable, Examination and Academic Calendar Committee, Gideon Adekunle, the institution said the decision was taken to honour the deceased student and allow affected students time to recover emotionally.

“Following the unfortunate incident that resulted in the loss of a student and injuries to others during a robbery attack in Eruku, the examinations scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29, have been postponed.

“This is to ensure students in the affected area regain their composure and mental stability, and most importantly, to honour the deceased.

“Examinations will resume on Friday, July 30, 2026, as scheduled. A new timetable for the postponed examinations will be communicated in due course.”

The Students’ Union Government President, Comrade Owoigbe Blessing, said the robbers struck around midnight.

“One final-year HND II student was killed, another female student was injured after her ear was severed, while another student who was shot has been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre,” she said.

She called on the Ogun State Government to strengthen security around the institution, lamenting that similar attacks had occurred repeatedly in the Eruku community.

“There is no adequate security. If there was, this would not have happened. This is not the first, second or even third time such an incident has occurred in Eruku,” she said.

Also reacting, the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Ogun State, Comrade Olabode Faruq Success, condemned what he described as the rising insecurity around tertiary institutions in the state and called for urgent intervention to protect students.