For many students at Ekiti State University, nights used to mean quiet reading, group discussions, or scrolling through phones before sleep.
Now, for some, it means staying awake—listening for footsteps, locking doors twice, and hoping nothing happens.
In recent days, reports of armed robbery attacks around hostels, especially in the Phase 2 area, have unsettled the campus.
Students say the attacks often happen at night—sudden, coordinated, and frightening.
Phones, laptops, and other valuables are taken.
But beyond the losses, it’s the fear that lingers.
“We are deeply concerned,” said the Students’ Union, led by Osunyomi Hezekalh, condemning what it described as repeated security breaches threatening students’ safety and academic performance.
For students preparing for exams, the timing makes it worse.
It’s hard to focus on reading when your mind is split between textbooks and safety.
Some students have taken to social media to share their experiences, alleging that armed men break into hostels in the middle of the night, forcing occupants to surrender their belongings and even passwords.
The fear is no longer isolated.
It is shared, whispered across rooms, passed in late-night chats, and carried into lecture halls the next morning.
The Students’ Union says it has engaged school authorities and security agencies, pushing for better lighting, stronger surveillance, and improved patrol systems.
Students have also been urged to stay vigilant—avoid walking alone at night, secure their rooms, and report suspicious activity.
But for many, those are temporary adjustments, not solutions.
Because campus is supposed to be a safe space. That is, a place to learn, grow, and build a future.
When that safety is shaken, everything else feels uncertain.
As for EKSU students, the real test right now isn’t just in the exam hall—it’s navigating school life in the middle of fear.
—The Punch
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