he students of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, took to the streets on Monday to protest the kidnap of their colleague, Olayinka Toyinbo, in Odeda, Ogun.
The placard-carrying students took their protest to the Ogun state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abeokuta.
The inscriptions on the placards included, “Free our students now,” “I am a student not a prey for kidnappers,” among others.
Speaking to newsmen, the president of FUNAAB Students’ Union Government (SUG), Michael Oloyede, appealed to both the federal and state governments to ensure speedy rescue of the abducted student.
Mr Oloyede called on the government to do more in securing the lives and property of citizens by providing necessary facilities that would make the job of security agents easier.
“We are appealing to the government and security agencies to ensure the student is released within 72 hours or we will shut down the state with another protest.
“The federal and state governments should provide more facilities and equipment for security agencies,” he said.
Also speaking, the state chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Damilola Simeon, urged the government to provide security agencies with drones and other equipment to aid their job.
Mr Simeon appealed to relevant authorities to put all machinery in place to ensure the immediate rescue of their colleague.
Mr Toyinbo, a 400-level student of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management of FUNAAB, was kidnapped on Saturday by suspected gunmen in Odeda, Ogun.
The student was reportedly abducted on a private farm in Abule Itoko, Odeda Local Government Area, about 25 minutes drive from the institution, around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.
A friend of the abducted student, who claimed to have witnessed the scene, said Mr Toyinbo was kidnapped by the gunmen at the private farm where he lived and worked as a practising livestock farmer for the past three years.
Other sources, however, said that two other persons, also reportedly kidnapped alongside the student were the owner of the farm and a 17-year-old Togolese lady.
The state police spokesperson Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident, saying the command has been briefed about the abductions and that the police were working tirelessly to ensure the safe rescue of the victims.
(NAN)
