Alleged Military Raid at TAU Rekindles Campus Safety Concerns Nationwide

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20/01/26 • 41 المشاهدات • 0 شارك • نشرت في آخر

Fresh allegations of a late-night military raid at Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko-Irese, Kwara State, have renewed concerns about student safety on Nigerian campuses, raising broader questions a..

The latest incident, said to have occurred on Sunday night, surfaced after Campus Spotlight NG, a campus-focused blog, published distress messages it claimed to have received from an anonymous student of the university. The platform shared screenshots of messages alleging that soldiers carried out an overnight operation at a male hostel.

Students Describe Night-Time Operation

According to the account published by Campus Spotlight NG, students said loud noises were heard in the boys’ hostel shortly after 10:00 p.m., before men identified as Nigerian Army personnel allegedly entered the premises and began searching rooms.

The students alleged that they were:

Forced out of their rooms,
Accused of causing a disturbance,
Intimidated during the operation, with two students reportedly assaulted.

They also claimed the soldiers were not stationed near the hostel, making their sudden appearance frightening for residents.

Campus Spotlight NG reported that several other students later contacted the platform with similar accounts of fear and harassment, suggesting the episode was not isolated.

Not the First Allegation at TAU

The claims have attracted attention largely because similar concerns have previously been raised at Thomas Adewumi University. In 2024, Campus Spotlight NG published related reports, which the university dismissed, insisting no military raid took place and announcing strengthened internal security measures to protect students.

However, the resurfacing of comparable allegations has left many students questioning whether those measures were effective or whether underlying security issues remain unresolved.

As of the time of filing this report, TAU management had yet to issue an official statement on the latest claims.

A Broader Campus Security Problem

Beyond TAU, confrontations involving security agencies around student hostels have repeatedly stirred controversy across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

In February 2024, reports alleged that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) fired shots during a raid at Kwara State University (KWASU). The EFCC later denied the claims, describing the reports as false.

At Imo State University (IMSU), rumours in 2021 of armed men invading hostels were later debunked by fact-checkers. Similarly, in 2017, students of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) accused Air Force personnel of assault during a campus incident, igniting national debate over the conduct of security agents in schools.

Whether confirmed or disputed, such incidents point to fragile trust between students, institutions and security agencies.

Fear, Learning and Stability

Education analysts warn that frequent or poorly communicated security operations around campuses can fuel fear, disrupt academic activities and undermine institutional credibility. Students quoted indirectly by Campus Spotlight NG expressed anxiety over night-time safety and the psychological impact of armed interventions in hostels.

Observers also caution that unresolved tensions could escalate into protests, academic disruptions or shutdowns, further weakening Nigeria’s already fragile academic calendar.

Calls for Accountability

The latest allegations, analysts say, highlight the need for clear protocols governing security operations near campuses, transparent communication between university authorities and students, and prompt clarification from security agencies when incidents arise.

Without such safeguards, experts warn that what begin as campus-level disputes could evolve into a broader national higher-education security crisis.

For now, students at Thomas Adewumi University — and many others across the country — remain caught between official silence and lived fears, awaiting clarity on who protects campuses and how that protection should be enforced.

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