The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for the immediate rescue of five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, who were abducted by armed men from a private hostel along Paraga Road in Ipara.
The demand comes two days after the students were whisked away from the hostel, located in a remote area surrounded by thick vegetation.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its President, Akinteye Afeez, NANS described the abduction as “reprehensible” and warned that Nigerian students should not have to live under the constant threat of violent attacks.
The association stressed that education is a fundamental right and that “no student should have to trade their safety for the pursuit of knowledge.”
It urged the Federal Government, the Ogun State Government and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Army, to deploy every available resource to secure the students’ safe release.
According to NANS, expressions of sympathy and repeated assurances are no longer sufficient, insisting instead on “concrete, visible and sustained security measures” to protect students on and off campus.
The association also called on governments to invest in affordable, campus-based hostels to reduce students’ dependence on off-campus accommodation, which it said often leaves them vulnerable to attacks.
It pledged to continue engaging relevant authorities and monitoring the situation until the abducted students are rescued and reunited with their families, while advocating lasting reforms to strengthen security in tertiary institutions nationwide.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the abducted students and their families,” the statement said, reaffirming NANS’ commitment to ensuring that the welfare and safety of Nigerian students are never treated with indifference.