No fewer than six students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, were reportedly abducted by suspected gunmen after they invaded a private hostel in the Ipara-Remo area of the state.
The incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m. yesterday along Paraga Road, where the armed men reportedly stormed the hostel and whisked the students away to an unknown destination.
Sources said the hostel is located in a remote area surrounded by thick vegetation, making it vulnerable to attacks.
The Students’ Union Government confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday and jointly signed by its President, Akinpelu Bukunmi Timothy, General Secretary, Salau Boluwaduro Saidat, and Public Relations Officer, Matthew Francis Sonayon.
“The attack lasted for approximately 30 minutes. Due to the isolated location of the hostel, residents in surrounding areas were unable to hear or respond to the incident in time. During the attack, the assailants fired gunshots; however, no student lost their life. By the grace of God, several students escaped through the POP ceiling, while others were unable to flee.
“We can confirm that five students were abducted during the incident. The matter has officially been reported to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies, and we are confident that immediate efforts are underway to ensure the safe rescue of the affected students.”
The union urged students, parents, guardians and members of the public to disregard what it described as false and unverified information circulating on social media.
“While the incident is real and deeply unfortunate, many of the stories currently in circulation do not accurately represent the facts and only serve to create unnecessary fear and panic within the school community,” the statement added.
Following the attack, the polytechnic management suspended examinations scheduled for Thursday.
In a notice to students, the management said Thursday’s examination had been cancelled following the incident, while Friday’s examination would proceed as scheduled unless otherwise announced.
Students were urged to remain calm and continue preparing for their examinations as efforts to resolve the situation continued.