The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ogun State Government and security agencies to secure the release of five abducted students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, warning that it will mobilise students for sustained peaceful protests if urgent action is not taken.
The ultimatum was announced on Wednesday by the Secretary-General of the National Headquarters of NANS, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman, popularly known as "Dan Fodio," during a press briefing where the association expressed deep concern over what it described as the worsening security situation confronting students across tertiary institutions in Ogun State.
According to the students' body, the rising incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, cult-related violence and other criminal activities have created an atmosphere of fear, making learning increasingly unsafe for students in the state.
NANS said the recent abduction of five students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic (GAPOSA), Saapade, alongside the killing of a female student of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, identified as Ahmed Sekinat, and recurring attacks around Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Ijebu-Ode, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAP), Ijebu-Igbo, demonstrate the urgent need for decisive security intervention.
The association maintained that the incidents are not isolated cases but part of a disturbing trend that has repeatedly exposed students to violent crimes both on and off campus.
It revealed that prior to the latest attacks, it had written to security agencies in Ogun State requesting a strategic engagement aimed at developing lasting solutions to insecurity affecting students. However, it alleged that its request received no response.
NANS described the lack of engagement as disappointing, arguing that it reflected insufficient attention to the safety and welfare of students despite the growing threats confronting educational institutions.
While expressing dissatisfaction with the response of some security agencies, the association commended the Inspector-General of Police for deploying an operational police aircraft to support ongoing security operations in Ogun State, particularly efforts aimed at rescuing the abducted Gateway ICT Polytechnic students.
The students' body also applauded Governor Dapo Abiodun for facilitating the deployment of the aircraft, noting that the initiative would strengthen aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid response against criminal elements operating across the state.
NANS consequently demanded that within 72 hours, beginning Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the Ogun State Government, the Ogun State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other relevant security agencies should ensure the unconditional release of the abducted students, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing of the D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic student, and bring perpetrators of campus-related crimes to justice.
The association warned that failure to meet these demands would leave it with no alternative but to organise sustained peaceful protests across Ogun State until concrete actions are taken to guarantee the safety of students.
According to NANS, the planned demonstrations are intended to draw the attention of the Ogun State Government, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS, the NSCDC, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to the deteriorating security situation affecting higher institutions in the state.
Among its demands, the association called for intensified investigations leading to the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for attacks on students, improved security architecture around tertiary institutions, increased patrols and intelligence operations, and the establishment of permanent security posts in vulnerable student communities.
It also urged the Ogun State Government to send a high-powered delegation to condole with the family of the late Ahmed Sekinat and visit the injured student currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, after sustaining gunshot wounds during the robbery attack.
NANS further advocated the immediate deployment of the Ogun State Anti-Violent Crime Team to campuses and student host communities, stronger collaboration among school authorities, host communities, traditional rulers and security agencies, as well as the creation of an Ogun Security Agencies–Student Leaders Relations Forum to promote continuous dialogue and proactive security planning.
The association appealed to Students' Union Governments, its structures nationwide, staff unions including ASUU, ASUP, COEASU and NASU, the Nigeria Labour Congress, civil society organisations, youth groups and other stakeholders to support the proposed peaceful protest if its demands remain unmet.
Declaring that education cannot flourish under an atmosphere of fear, NANS insisted that Nigerian students deserve a safe and secure learning environment, stressing that the time for decisive action by government and security agencies is now.
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