The Management of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, on Sunday condemned the alleged rape incident on one of its students by some soldiers stationed at a checkpoint between Akungba Akoko and Ikare Akoko.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Acting Registrar of the institution, Mr. Opeoluwa Akinfemiwa, who described the sexual assault as a violation of rights of the innocent girl.
The institution expressed concerns over the attitude of the soldiers whose duty is to protect lives of the people but turn around to exhibit such reprobate tendencies.
The school, however, advocated for the shift of the security checkpoint from the area to between Oba-Akoko and Ose where kidnappings and robberies occur, almost, on a daily basis.
Akinfemiwa appealed to the students to remain calm, assuring that the university management will continue to ensure adequate security measures are put in place for them to pursue their academic activities without molestation.
The statement read “the authorities of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, condemn, in its strongest term, the sexual assault on one of its students by one of the soldiers stationed at a check point between Akungba Akoko and Ikare Akoko.
“The University, after its preliminary investigation, noted with concern and amazement that a soldier of the Federal Republic Nigeria, whose duty, among others, is to protect lives of its citizens can turn round to exhibit such reprobate tendencies.
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“The University, while commending the swift action taken so far by the Brigade Commander on this inhuman and brazen assault on a defenceless and innocent student, calls on the authorities of the Nigerian Army to deal decisively with the perpetrator(s) of the act against humanity.
“While we are not unaware of the security situation in the country, we strongly request that the checkpoint be dismantled and the soldiers moved to between Oba-Akoko and Ose where kidnappings and robberies occur, almost, on a daily basis.
“The University calls for calm and wish to assure the students that we will continue to ensure that adequate security measures are put in place to enable them to continue to pursue their academic activities without molestation.”
Tribune Online recalls that soldiers from the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, attached to the Military chat3ck point in Ikare Akoko, in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, were alleged to have raped a female student of the institution.
The victim who is said to be a part three student of the Department of Religious and African Studies of AAUA was allegedly raped while she was coming back from the campus.
However, the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, on Saturday called on authorities of the Nigerian Army to immediately hand over the suspected soldiers arrested in connection with the alleged rape of the female student to the police for investigation.
Akeredolu who described the rape of the student by the soldiers as callous, mindless and heart aching, and frowned over the development saying, the soldiers who are supposed to protect the people in the face of the heightening wave of violence and insecurity in the country are perpetrating such act.
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