Boluwatife Olatunbosun
Taraba Nursing Students Protest Hostel Attacks, Demand Security
Hundreds of students of the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences, Jalingo, have protested repeated attacks on their hostels, following an overnight incident in which a female student was allegedly raped and injured.
The students staged the protest at the college gate on Monday, demanding urgent action from the Taraba State Government and security agencies to protect them from further attacks.
The latest incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday when hoodlums invaded an off-campus female hostel, stole students’ phones and other valuables and allegedly raped one of the students.
The victim was also reportedly injured, with one of her fingers cut during the attack. She was taken to a private hospital in the Mile 6 area of Jalingo for treatment.
Read also: STUDENTS’ HOSTEL COLLAPSES AT FUNAI, EBONYI STATE.
A students’ union official, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, said the attack was the second on the students’ hostels within two weeks.
According to the official, students had reported the first attack to the school authorities, prompting the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to visit the college and promise improved security.
The students, however, said the security situation had not improved.
They also expressed concern that they continued to live in hostels outside the college premises despite the completion of hostel facilities within the institution.
The students’ union official said the college has seven hostels, comprising one for male students and six for females, but students were still accommodated outside the premises where security was inadequate.
Read also: UNIZIK Law Student Dies After Being Locked Out of Hostel Without Access to Diabetes Medication
The latest attack came days after the Taraba State Ministry of Tertiary Education visited the college over an earlier robbery at the students’ hostels.
The ministry had reported that armed men invaded the hostels, stole 33 mobile phones and assaulted some students. Three phones and a cutlass were reportedly recovered at the scene.
Following the earlier incident, the ministry recommended urgent security measures around the hostels, intensified investigation and the relocation of students to safer accommodation.
It also called for the completion and commissioning of the college’s new hostel facilities.
The Provost of the college, Dr Dorcas Dugule, confirmed that she was handling the latest incident but declined to provide further details immediately.
“I am on top of the issue. I will not speak; please give me time,” she said.