‘They Were Virgins,’ Four Female TASUED Students Raped, Hospitalised
October 25, 2023
Abibat Babalola
“One of the young girls, whose pride was forcefully taken, was a Hijabi – a female Muslim Student In Hijab”
Four female students of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, have been reportedly raped by people suspected to be armed robbers in one of the university’s communities.
Though the deputy governor of Ogun state, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who confirmed the sad incident did not give details on the victims, a student union leader, Adebamowo Adeayo, told the media that results of medical examination conducted on the victims showed that three of the young girls were virgins “before their pride was forcefully taken away from them.”
They “have not done anything wrong to deserve this,” Adeayo said, adding; “One of them, a Hijabi – a female Muslim Student In Hijab – was among the three virgins.”
He added during a phone interview with Platforms Africa that the victims have been admitted at an hospital. He won’t mention the name of the hospital for security reasons.
The incident, it was gathered happened in the early hours of Tuesday at Abapawa.
Details about the incident were sketchy at the time of filing this report.
However, the Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, in a post on her Instagram handle, noimot.oyedele, confirmed the incident.
The State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele said she paid a visit to the school management, students, and the victims of the incident, who are said to be currently receiving treatment at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
The Deputy Governor in the post wrote, ” Earlier today, after receiving the distressing news about an armed robbery at some TASUED students hostels and the brutal rape of four female students, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun CON, directed me to immediately visit the victims and the campus on a fact-finding mission and to pledge the government’s support in ensuring that this doesn’t happen again.
“I have visited the girls who are now being cared for and given the necessary support to heal from their trauma at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at OSUTH.
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is of utmost importance and I subsequently had a crucial meeting with the management and students of TASUED.
“I was joined by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alamutu, and the Hon.Commissioner for Education, Professor Abayomi Arigbagbu, where we discussed concrete steps to bolster security measures and foster a safe environment on campus and the adjacent host community.
“The Ogun State government is committed to ensuring the safety of all citizens and that our institutions remain safe spaces for learning and growth.
At the meeting she had with the school management and student representatives, Salako-Oyedele, said the government will do everything humanly possible to bring to book the perpetrators of the unfortunate robbery and rape incident in the area, adding that they would not go unpunished.
She noted that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu had visited the scene of the incident since it was first reported and he is working assiduously to ensure the culprits are apprehended to face the full wrath of the law.
She stressed the need to forestall further reoccurrence as it was one of the worst crimes against humanity.
“I am on a fact-finding mission to establish what happened and what could be done to support the victims immediately and subsequently, apprehend the criminals and of course, prevent such a thing from happening again,” she said.
The Deputy Governor charged the school management to work with the concerned community, the police, and the students to develop stakeholder engagements to put in place mechanisms that will guarantee that the lives and properties of the students who live off campus are secured.
She promised that the victims will be given the needed support, medically, morally and emotionally to ensure they overcome the trauma and live normal afterwards free from stigmatisation of any kind.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, said the news of the incident was very disheartening, promising the aggrieved students union representatives that government would do everything humanly possible to apprehend the criminals.
“The CP has promised that the Police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to book and justice prevails . I call on everyone to stand united against such a heinous act and work collectively to uphold the dignity and safety of all citizens.”
