Hundreds of students at Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences protested on Monday. Suspected hoodlums broke into a female hostel overnight. They stole phones and valuables. They allegedly raped one student. She lost a finger. She needed hospital care. It was the second such attack in two weeks. The students demanded better security and justice. They refused to resume classes until the campus is safer. Police confirmed the burglary. They said they are investigating the assault claim. The state ministry agreed to deploy security and hold follow-up talks.
Campus insecurity is a national problem. In 2019, armed men attacked a female hostel at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 2021, gunmen abducted students from Greenfield University, Kaduna. In 2023, bandits raided a hostel at Federal University Gusau, Zamfara. Hostels are soft targets. They are poorly secured. Perimeter fences are broken. Security guards are few and unarmed. Rapists and thieves exploit these gaps. The pattern repeats because the response is reactive. After each attack, officials promise security. The promises fade. The next attack comes.
The Jalingo attack followed a familiar script. Hoodlums entered the hostel at night. They stole what they could. They assaulted a student. The victim lost a finger. She was hospitalised. This was the second raid in two weeks. That detail matters. It shows the first attack produced no security upgrade. The students noticed. They protested. They are refusing to attend classes. Their demand is simple. Protect us or we stay home.
The police confirmed the burglary. They have not confirmed the rape. They said they are investigating. The distinction matters legally. It does not matter to the students. They know what happened. They know the risk. The state ministry has agreed to deploy security. It has agreed to hold talks. Those are promises. The students want action.
The college’s response has been slow. Management has not announced arrests. It has not announced a security overhaul. It has not addressed the students’ safety concerns. The protest is a direct challenge to that failure. The students are forcing the issue. They will not resume until they feel safe. That is their leverage.
Winners: The students, who forced a response. The state ministry, which shows engagement. The police, if they make arrests and secure convictions. Losers: The victim, who suffered physical and psychological trauma. The students, who are missing classes. The college, whose management failed. The state, which cannot protect its students. Hoodlums, if arrests follow. Taxpayers, who fund a security deployment that should have been in place before the first attack.
Bottom Line: Two attacks in two weeks. One student raped. One finger lost. The college did nothing after the first raid. The students are now doing something. They are refusing to attend classes. The state ministry has promised security. Promises do not protect hostels. Guards, fences and lighting do. Until those appear, the students are right to stay home.