The management of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo Campus, has condemned the alleged harassment and assault of some students by military recruits around the Oke-Baale area of Osogbo.

Speaking with correspondents of Afinju 90.7FM, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Ademola Adesoji, said the incident occurred on the night of Monday, June 29, 2016, when reports emerged that some military recruits allegedly invaded private hostels occupied by students and assaulted them.

According to him, many students of the institution reside in privately owned hostels around the Oke-Baale axis because the university hostel cannot accommodate all students on campus.

Adesoji explained that the military recruits involved had recently completed their passing-out parade before the incident allegedly occurred.

“Late in the night, we received a report of alleged harassment of some of our students by some military recruits in the Oke-Baale axis of Osogbo,” he said.

“Upon receiving the report, the university management immediately condemned the act, while the Vice Chancellor, alongside other management officials, carried out an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain what transpired.

During the inspection, the university discovered that some windows and doors in the affected hostels had been damaged. There were also reports that some students sustained injuries during physical confrontations with the military personnel, who allegedly used sticks and force during the operation.

The incident triggered a peaceful protest by students on Tuesday morning, as they expressed anger over what they described as harassment and intimidation by the military personnel.

According to the university spokesperson, the Vice Chancellor personally addressed the protesting students and appealed for calm, stressing that the university environment should remain peaceful and free from intimidation.

Following the Tuesday protest, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that he had contacted authorities at the Nigerian Armed Forces depot, who subsequently sent a delegation to the institution to address the matter.

Adesoji disclosed that the military authorities acknowledged the incident and informed the school management that the perpetrators had been identified and were already being sanctioned.

According to him, five officers linked to the incident were presented to the university authorities, while the military reportedly assured the institution that those involved had been dismissed and that the matter would be handled appropriately.

On allegations of sexual assault circulating on social media, the university spokesperson clarified that although some female students were allegedly touched inappropriately and physically assaulted, there was no official confirmation that any student was raped.

He explained that some of the affected female students during the incident were rushed to Osogbo Central Hospital for treatment, adding that two of them had already been discharged as of morning.

“Some ladies were harassed and assaulted physically, but there has been no official confirmation of rape,” he said, dismissing reports claiming that students were raped during the incident.

Adesoji further revealed that several students who participated in the protest displayed visible injuries and marks allegedly sustained from the assault.

He also alleged that some students had their phones and other gadgets forcefully taken away by the military personnel, while some were allegedly forced to transfer money from their accounts during the operation.

According to him, more than 20 students were affected by the incident.

The university management, he said, has begun efforts to recover the seized gadgets and belongings. He noted that the Students’ Union leadership is currently compiling a list of affected students, including their names, contact details and items taken from them, to ensure proper recovery and return of the items.

Adesoji commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for cooperating with the institution and identifying the officers allegedly involved in the incident.

“We thought they might deny the allegation, but they identified those involved and brought five individuals to the university,” he said.

He added that discussions are ongoing between the university management and security authorities to prevent future occurrences and strengthen peaceful relations between students, residents and security agencies within the community.

The military authorities, according to the university, also condemned the incident and have deployed officers to monitor the area around the institution.

The university management maintained that students must be able to live and study in a peaceful environment without fear of harassment, intimidation or assault.