The bandits kidnapped two travellers – a man and a woman – in the students’ convoy.
Bandits, believed to be Fulani herdsmen, have attacked a convoy of the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, in Ondo town of Ondo State.
SaharaReporters learnt that the students were attacked when they were returning from the burial of their former Students’ Union Government President, Samuel Adesomoju, popularly known as Sampraise, which was held at his hometown of Okitipupa town.
It was gathered that the bandits kidnapped two travellers – a man and a woman – in the students’ convoy, but the students were able to fight their way through.
Sampraise had died on Saturday, alongside at least 10 students when a fully loaded truck of Dangote Cement, heading for Owo from Obajana in Kogi State, developed faulty brakes and swerved off the road, ramming into some shops directly opposite the university.
In a Facebook post, a former spokesman for the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Joe Igbokwe, had confirmed that a woman lost her three siblings in the crash and later died of shock on Saturday after hearing the sad news about her children.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, one of the students, who was in the entourage that went for Sampraise’s burial, said the herdsmen waylaid the students’ convoy around Ondo town.
She said, “We travelled to Okitipupa on Monday which was the hometown of our former SUG President, Sampraise. He was a 500 level law student. The current SUG President, nicknamed Supreme, also went with us. When we were returning, herdsmen attacked us in Ondo.
“Luckily, we were able to fight our way through. But the herdsmen abducted two travellers in our convoy – a man and a woman, but they are not students. They just went with us. We did not get back to the campus until around 12am. On Tuesday, we also visited the family of three colleagues who were killed in the crash involving a Dangote company truck.
“Although the mother died from the shock, we visited the family house at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on a condolence visit.”
On same Monday, governors of the South-West met in Ondo State capital, Akure, to discuss the problem of insecurity in the region, especially as it relates to kidnapping and killing by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The governors had decried the insecurity situation which necessitated their decision to ban open grazing by herdsmen in the region.
Giving a report of the meeting, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, had said, “Today, the South-West governors held a security stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo State. The meeting was attended by our brother governors from Kebbi and Jigawa States; security chiefs, SW zone led by the AIG Zone 11 and leaders from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
“Collectively, we resolved to ban open grazing in all parts of the South-West. In Oyo State, we already have a law against open grazing which will continue to be implemented by our security agencies.”