How Repeated Robberies Traumatized KWASU Students, Shattered Their Peace

Once night falls in Malete, host community of Kwara State University (KWASU), students brace for fear instead of rest. Armed robbers, often masked or clad in reflective jackets like local bikemen, invade hostels, dispossessing students of phones, laptops and valuables. For many, the violence has left more than material loss — it has stolen their peace of mind.

From Hasbunallahu Hostel to House 22 and Leo Hostel in Safari, at least six student hostels have been attacked this year. Victims told FIJ that the intruders sometimes wield guns and machetes, issuing death threats if passwords are not provided. One vigilante, Aroso, employed at Hasbunallahu Hostel, recalled how nine robbers overpowered him on June 20, held a machete to his throat and left students injured.

The repeated incidents have forced students like Aminatu Adepeju, a 100-level mass communication student, to live with trauma. “Every slight noise wakes me up. I don’t sleep wholeheartedly anymore,” she said. Others now sleep with cutlasses at arm’s length or keep vigil in turns.

Despite promises from local government officials, the police and student leaders, security interventions have largely come late. Victims say calls to the police during attacks often go unanswered until robbers have fled. Arrests have been made, but fear still lingers across Malete.

With the university unable to provide sufficient campus accommodation, thousands of students live in isolated off-campus hostels, making them easy targets. Community leaders admit a regulation gap, while security agencies insist students must take more responsibility for their own safety.

For now, many KWASU students remain trapped in an uneasy routine: riders by day, robbers by night, and sleepless nights in between.