The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) expresses deep grief and unreserved condemnation of the tragic shooting incident that occurred on the night of Wednesday, June 19, 2025, in Oko Community, Anambra State-a heinous attack that claimed the life of at least one student, left others injured, and led to the abduction of some academic staff.
According to multiple verified sources, the assailants-disguised in outfits resembling security operatives-stormed the student-residential areas in coordinated formations, triggering chaos, bloodshed, and terror. This attack follows a disturbing trend of recurring harassment and unauthorized raids in student lodges, often under the guise of cracking down on cybercrime.
Though the Management of Federal Polytechnic Oko in a press statement has clarified that the incident occurred outside the campus perimeter, NAPS maintains unequivocally that an attack on the students or staff of an academic institution-regardless of location-is an attack on the future of Nigeria.
NAPS THEREFORE DEMANDS:
1. Immediate and transparent investigation by the Nigeria Police Force to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this despicable act.
2. Urgent rescue of the abducted lecturers and any other missing individuals, with a coordinated response from local and federal security agencies.
3. A decisive engagement by the Anambra State Government and the State Commissioner of Police to address the worsening security conditions around Oko and other academic communities in the state. This should include community policing strategies and student-inclusive security architecture.
4. An independent probe into frequent unauthorized raids and reported extortions targeting students in off-campus lodges. To further verify if they are police officers. We are not opposed to fighting crime-but it must be done lawfully and without endangering innocent lives.
5. A robust and permanent security presence in student zones through synergy between the Nigeria Police, local vigilante networks, and the school’s internal security systems.
6. Proactive communication and leadership from school authorities in times of crisis. Clarifications are important, but visible empathy, safety assurance, and student engagement are even more critical.
7. A federal-level policy review on student-community safety, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
INTERFACING WITH GOVERNMENT & SECURITY AUTHORITIES
NAPS shall immediately engage the following stakeholders:
The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, for swift state-level response and justice;
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, for urgent action, transparency in investigation, and increased deployment around vulnerable student zones;
The Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Security Agencies, to take this case as a national warning and act accordingly.
TO THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT & STUDENTS’ UNION GOVERNMENT (SUG)
We stand with the Management and the Students’ Union Government of Federal Polytechnic Oko at this difficult time. As partners in the educational project, we mourn with you and urge continued collaboration in ensuring the safety and emotional well-being of our students.
TO ALL NIGERIAN STUDENTS:
Remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding. Let us not allow anger to lead us into actions that undermine our cause. We must organize, not vandalize. We must demand justice, not chaos.
Document what you see. Report suspicious activity. Protect one another. This is the moment to stand united-not in fear-but in firm, peaceful resolve.
TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS:
We mourn with you. We stand beside you. And we assure you-this incident will not be buried under bureaucracy or excuses. We will follow it to its rightful conclusion.
Enough is enough. Nigerian students are not pawns. We will not continue to die in silence. The blood of students must no longer water the fields of neglect.
Signed:
Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan (GCNPS-SHOPRITE)
President, National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS)
