(Photo credit: United Nations)
Most, if not all, student communities in Nigeria, specifically in tertiary institutions, have a long and unfortunate history of violence stemming from cultism, sexual harassment, election processes (political involvement), riot, or a combination of these factors. This has resulted in several casualties; death, severe injuries, destruction of public and private property, not to mention an insecure atmosphere, a destabilized system, and sometimes, a suspension of school activities.
The context of violence within student communities is rather complex and often tied to broader societal issues. As such, this hydra has become a constant reoccurrence and a seemingly permanent issue. NANS, the National Association of Nigerian Students, which represents all students in universities and colleges across Nigeria, has had its share of violence, mostly pertaining to protests related to ASUU strikes, student abductions, clashes during NANS activities, among others. For instance, there were recent reports of attacks on students traveling to a NANS convention in Abuja. The students were attacked in Ogbese community, Ondo state, resulting in injuries and property damage. One instance of abduction is that of female students from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka Federal University in Makurdi, which occurred on February 25, 2025.
At home, here in UI, violence of its kind is no stranger to the student community. On a seemingly monthly, if not weekly, basis, there are threats to life and property and possible hijacks by hoodlums and other miscreants from the neighboring Agbowo community, where a considerable percentage of UI students reside off-campus. Students tweet about them. The recent protests have topped the headlines (Blackout: UI medical students storm FG, UCH management meeting, by Punch Healthwise; Fresh protests break out in UI as Council backs fee hike, by Punch Newspapers) and could easily have led to heightened tensions, inadvertently causing violence, but for its laudable coordination.
Let’s speak to violence as unwarranted actions within the school. Barely a few weeks ago, on Tuesday, March 7, 2025, this issue of violence was perpetrated not by the student community but by university officers, in a terrible reversal of roles. The security personnel, whose sole job was supposedly to prevent violence, caused it through their shameful actions. On that day, during the inauguration ceremony at Trenchard Hall, UI, Nice Linus, a student of UI, was dragged out of the hall by the University of Ibadan security personnel on the account of her disqualification and being revoked as a representative of Obafemi Awolowo Hall, of which she was officially unaware. Nice, a female student of UI, was physically assaulted, manhandled, and dragged from the hall like a common criminal. Whether or not she was within her rights is, however, is already in court but does not justify such harassment, dehumanization, and violence.
The sheer force applied by the security personnel, on her, others students, including members of the Union of Campus Journalists, as though they were miscreants, was totally uncalled for. One pressman in particular was assaulted, slapped, and dragged to the Abefele unit for making a video of the altercation. Oluwasegun Akanni was pinned to the wall like a common criminal, and his phone was forcefully taken by the security personnel in a sloppy attempt to cover and hide evidence of their brutality, along with other journalists like Olashile Ogunrinu, who recorded the incident on their phones. Aduwo Ayodele, a student activist, and others who tried to protect Nice Linus were also assaulted and bruised in the process. It marks the height of a dysfunctional, insecure society, where students are assaulted by the very personnel in charge of security; an outright violation of their fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech and association. And nothing short of violence.
Press freedom is one of the pillars of democracy, a tenet of the Rule of Law, and a check on the arbitrary use and abuse of power, as witnessed on that Tuesday. If such an action could be perpetrated in broad daylight, then there is little to be said about the security of that society. This, as well as several similar occurrences in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges, brings to light the unacknowledged fact that even police officers and security personnel are guilty of violence within the student community. It is no secret that the issue of violence has always been inherent in the student community. One reason is that students are youths, the agile workforce of every population, excitable and prone to venting their frustrations through violence. It can however be curbed, managed, and resolved effectively.
Student violence greatly emphasizes the need for peace and conflict resolution. The onus falls on the school boards and administration, student unions and organizations, and the government at large to embrace a departure from violence. Rather than dealing with the consequences and aftereffects of student violence, rather than ignoring the factors that add up to result in student violence, the root causes of these incidents should be tackled and dealt with posthaste.
It is my opinion that a strategy of prevention instead of cure must be adopted, with the prioritization of peace, conflict resolution, increased security measures, the creation of a safe and supportive environment, and essentially, the creation of open lines of communication between students and school authorities, allowing for problems to be addressed before they escalate.
