Taraba nursing students protest after hostel attack and rape claim

Students of the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo protested on Monday. They were upset about an attack on one of their hostels where a female student was reportedly raped.

The attack happened early on Monday morning. Students and police said that mobile phones and other valuables were stolen during the incident.

The police have not confirmed the rape allegation yet.

A student union leader talked about the situation. They said the female student was hurt during the attack and taken to a private hospital in Mile 6, Jalingo for treatment.

The leader said worries about safety have grown among students. This has led to the protest. They mentioned that this attack was the second in two weeks at the students’ hostels.

The student leader added that they had already discussed security concerns with the college authorities. The commissioner for tertiary education visited the college and promised to improve security around the hostels.

But the leader said that proper security measures were still not in place before the attack on Monday.

Security is a big issue because the college has seven student hostels: one for males and six for females. These hostels are outside the main college area.

The students are now demanding better security to prevent more attacks at the hostels.

The Provost of the college, Dorcas Dugule, confirmed that the incident happened but did not share more details. "I am on top of the issue. I will not speak; please give me time," she said.

The police confirmed the attack but could not verify the rape claim. The state police spokesperson, Victor Mshelizah, said that some hostels were broken into and students' phones were stolen.

"Yes, such incident happened in the early hours of today. Some hostels were burgled and phones were stolen. But I cannot confirm the rape allegation because I haven’t seen the victim," Mr Mshelizah said.

He mentioned that police officers would be sent to the school to look into the incident. He promised that more information would be shared later.

This incident has raised fresh fears about the safety of students living in the college’s off-campus hostels. Students are calling for action to keep them safe from future attacks.