The Vice-Chancellor, Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof Clement Adebooye, has confirmed the arrest of five soldiers following an alleged overnight invasion of student hostels in Osogbo, Osun State.
Adebooye said the soldiers, believed to be passed-out military recruits, allegedly stormed about 16 off-campus hostels in the Oke Baale area, where they reportedly assaulted students, seized valuables, destroyed property and sexually harassed female residents.
According to the vice-chancellor, the university reported the incident to military authorities, prompting a response from senior military officers who visited the institution and commenced investigations.
“As of the meeting we had on Tuesday morning, five of the soldiers have been apprehended,” Adebooye said.
He explained that the hostels targeted during the operation were privately owned facilities located outside the university campus, noting that the institution’s security network does not extend to those areas.
The vice-chancellor dismissed claims that the university had requested military assistance, stressing that the institution had no involvement in the soldiers’ presence around the hostels.
“We did not engage them for any purpose at all. They simply went to the hostel locations and carried out the act,” he said.
Adebooye said eyewitness accounts indicated that the soldiers moved in groups and attacked multiple hostels across the area. He described the incident as traumatic for students and condemned the alleged conduct of the recruits.
While commending the military hierarchy for its swift response, he distinguished the actions of the recruits from the relationship the university has maintained with nearby military formations, including the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army.
“We have lived peacefully with the military for years. The top echelon of the military are refined officers, but these recruits carried out an unacceptable act of violence against students,” he said.
The vice-chancellor called for severe disciplinary measures against those found culpable, recommending their dismissal from military service after due process.
“These officers are not fit to serve in the Nigerian Army. I recommend that they be summarily dismissed after trial,” he stated.
Adebooye further warned that failure to adequately punish those responsible could encourage impunity and undermine public confidence in security institutions.
He added that the university community, civil society groups and student bodies may consider additional legal options if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation and disciplinary process.
Military authorities have yet to issue a public statement on the incident, while investigations are ongoing.