The student populace who reside in the areas around the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Akure (LAUTECH) in Ondo state decry high and increasing rate of criminal activities including theft, burglary and rape.
The students of the institution residing at Adenike area again rose to an uproar on September 6, 2014, as one of the alleged notorious armed robbers-cum-rapist was finally caught in the act, Nigerian Tribune reports.
In order not to take matters into their hands, the intended victims handed over the criminal to the Students’ Union leadership to deal with the issue.
The Speaker of the Students Representative Council, Olalekan Salami, alongside other members of the House decided to report and handover the criminal to the police.
The students then took the criminal, identified as just Segun, in the Union’s bus but on their way to the police station, they encountered a mysterious accident, reports say.
Olalekan and 14 other students in the bus were severely injured, but Segun, the criminal, was not.
The police, who had already been alerted of the incident, arrived the scene at Orita Naira, and demanded the students release Segun to them.
The students, led by the union’s president, Areo Ajibola and the student leader, Bolarinwa Sheriffdeen,stood their ground and refused to hand over the criminal to the police. They preferred to take the law into their hands.
The school authorities’ representatives present at the scene; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Timothy Adebayo, Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Tunde Olabiyisi and Deputy Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Ishola, intervened and calmed down the students.
After much deliberations among the police force, the school authorities, the student leaders and the aggrieved town people, Segun was released on the agreement that he would be taken to Souns’ palace.
However, a police barricade at Iyana Owode, obstructed and redirected the protestants from their initial destination to the Ogbomoso Police Station.
Upon arrival at the police station, only Segun, Professor Adebayo, Dr Olabiyisi, Dr Ishola, Areo, Sheriffdeen, and two National Union of Campus Journalists members were allowed entrance into the police grounds.
After a lengthy meeting, the Area Commander and the District Police Officer assured the student leaders of justice and maximum security for the school and the town as a whole henceforth.
