The dangers of studying in fear

THE university environment is a place of study. People attend universities for the purpose of gaining something knowledgeable when they read on their own or when they are taught. How can such a place harbour criminals and evil people who impede the objectives behind their existence?  The university should be a safe place for students. It should be safe at every time whether during the day or at midnight. The security of a school is among the parameters for defining its standards and determing whether or not it is on the right track. A secure university environment makes members of the university community, including lecturers, non-teaching staff and students to feel safe and secure while in the school premises. Sadly, increasingly, the case in Nigerian universities is different, as there have been a lot of sad and horrendous attack on universities around the country. In November 2021, gunmen kidnapped four staffers and two of their children from the University of Abuja, the federal capital that should be most secure. One of the captives was a prominent economics professor. This, according to reports, was the first high-profile attack on a campus in Nigeria’s capital.

Early in September this year, a tragic incident also happened in Ekiti State. A second-year nursing student in the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Modupe Deborah Atanda, was killed and buried in a shallow grave inside the school premises on her way back from night study. This student was studying as it should be and felt the school premises was safe to walk at night, not knowing that would send her to her early grave. How can such a thing happen within a school premises? How can a person be killed and buried without anyone noticing any strange movement or sound around? The police are still investigating how this crime was committed. I also wish the culprits are found and justice is duly served.  The nation confronts a wave of mass abductions. Hundreds of students have been dragged away from educational facilities this year. What happened to the security operatives that were meant to keep them safe? One of the worst attacks occurred in February, when 317 girls were abducted from a school in Zamfara State. Like most other kidnapping victims, they were reportedly released after secretive negotiations were conducted by the authorities.

Just last week, another dastardly incident occured. Students of the Federal University, Gusau were kidnapped. About three hostels were raided  in a community opposite the main campus of the school  and every student living there was kidnapped. The l number of missing students is unknown. In June, some students of that same university protested the spate of abductions their mates had been subjected to in Sabon-Gida and Damba. The government was supposed to have increased the security in that area to protect these students. A prince is protected even before he gets to the throne, how come the country’s princes and princesses, the so-called leaders of tomorrow, are left in so much danger? Kidnappers have turned students to toys. They treat them as business items. The government should work hard and stop these criminals from toying with the leaders of tomorrow.

Moreover, we cannot be busy studying and still be trying to protect ourselves from kidnappers and other criminals who are after our life.  There is a saying: “Study while others are sleeping, work while others are loafing, and you will succeed while others are wishing.” But how will this be possible when even the places we feel should be safe for studying are more dangerous than we presume? The school environment should be a place of refuge where students in danger should run to, not otherwise. How can we study in fear, preparing for an exam we are not sure we would be able to write?  Why should the government leave parents in the lurch? Our parents send us to school hoping and praying that we return home safely. Imagine the scars and traumatic experiences that will be left on the psyche of victims of kidnapping? That is if they are rescued or their parents manage to fulfill the demands of the abductors. How will such students be able to go back to school to study, knowing full well that he or she is not safe? The school environment should not be a place to see just anybody; it is not a place for loitering or a park where everybody can go to.

The government should increase funding for schools, particularly in areas with high rates of violence or crime. The funds should be used to provide better security measures, such as improved surveillance systems and emergency response protocols. Trained security personnel should be employed and not just anyone that needs a job. Government can also establish more mental health resources for students, including school counselors and social workers, to help students that see violence as  an alternative to justice. The main causes of this problems too should be tackled. Policies that address the root causes of violence, such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education should be implemented. In addition, security staff should make use of random metal detector screening to reduce the likelihood of weapons entering  the schools. Lecturers and non-teaching staff should also be trained on how to recognize the signs of violence and respond appropriately. Most importantly, there should be background checks for all school employees, including volunteers, before they are employed, to prevent criminals from penetrating the schools.

Students should also be encouraged to speak up if they see or hear something suspicious. This should be done through clear procedures such as a tip line or hotline. This will encourage students to report crime, especially when they can do this anonymously. This will help reduce the risk of horrible occurrences and other criminal activities and make students feel at ease living far away from their parents.

• Jolasanmi is a student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

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