Hundreds of students of the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo took to the streets on Monday, September 21, after an alleged attack on an off-campus female hostel left a student injured and reportedly raped. The students blocked the college gate and nearby roads, demanding immediate action from the Taraba State Government, security agencies and school management.
The protest is drawing attention not only because of the latest attack, but because students say it happened after they had already complained about security problems at their accommodation.
Second Hostel Attack in Two Weeks
According to reports from the students, Monday’s incident was the second attack on student accommodation in about two weeks. The latest attackers reportedly entered a female hostel, stole phones and other valuables, assaulted students and allegedly raped one student before injuring her, including cutting one of her fingers.
The victim was taken to a hospital in Jalingo for treatment. The details of the attack remain based largely on accounts from students and local reports, while authorities have yet to provide a full public account of the incident.
The students say this is what makes the situation especially troubling. They had already raised concerns after an earlier robbery, yet another attack followed.
Authorities Had Already Been Warned
The latest protest comes just days after the Taraba State Ministry of Tertiary Education visited the college following a September 17 hostel robbery.
The ministry said 33 mobile phones were reportedly stolen during that attack, while several students were assaulted. Its assessment recommended stronger security, intensified investigation and the relocation of students to safer accommodation. The ministry also called for the completion and commissioning of new hostel facilities.
Students are now asking why they should remain in vulnerable accommodation while safer facilities are reportedly available or being developed.
A students’ representative also raised concerns that some students are still housed outside the college premises despite the institution having several hostel facilities.
The Bigger Problem Is Accommodation
The Jalingo nursing students protest is therefore becoming a wider debate about student accommodation and institutional responsibility.
The students are demanding stronger security around their current hostels and want residents moved to safer on-campus facilities. They have also indicated that academic activities should not resume until their concerns are addressed.
For the Taraba government and college management, the next step will be closely watched. Students are not only asking for arrests after an attack. They want preventive measures that can stop another incident from happening.
The case also adds to wider concerns about insecurity around student communities in Jalingo, where another report on September 21 said suspected armed robbers targeted residences occupied by Taraba State University students.
