Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Hundreds of students at the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo staged a peaceful protest on Monday after armed hoodlums invaded an off-campus female hostel in the early hours of the morning, allegedly raping a student, severing one of her fingers, and carting away mobile phones and valuables. The victim, whose name has been withheld, was rushed to a hospital in the Mile 6 area of Jalingo for medical attention. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, September 21, 2026, has ignited fury among the student body, who say it is the second violent raid on their hostels in two weeks and that promises of improved security made by the state government after the first incident were never fulfilled.
The protest, which disrupted academic activities at the institution, saw students barricade the college's main entrance while carrying placards with inscriptions including, "The security of our lives matter" and "We are here to study, not to be killed." According to a students' union official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attackers came in large numbers and targeted one of the female hostels located outside the institution's premises. "They raped one of the students and also carted away phones belonging to the students and other valuables," the official said. "They also cut one of the fingers of the student after raping her. She is now on admission at a private hospital located at Mile 6 area in Jalingo." The official said that when the first attack occurred the previous week, students complained to the school authorities, prompting the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to visit the college and promise that security measures would be put in place in all hostels. "But nothing was done," he said.
The protest also took a dramatic turn when the college's Provost, Dr Dorcas Dugule, reportedly attempted to force her way into the premises during the demonstration. Sources told SaharaReporters that the Provost destroyed two students' phones while trying to stop them from recording her. One female student said she had saved money to purchase her iPhone, expressing distress over its destruction. The sources added that Dr Dugule called for additional security personnel to disperse the protesting students using teargas. When contacted by Daily Trust, the Provost confirmed she was handling the matter but declined to comment further. "I am on top of the issue. I will not speak; please give me time," she said. The Police Public Relations Officer for the Taraba State Command, Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the attack but said he was not aware of any rape incident as of the time of filing the report. "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," he said, adding that officers were heading to the school.
The attack comes days after the Taraba State Ministry of Tertiary Education visited the College of Nursing Sciences following a reported robbery at students' hostels. According to the ministry's report, armed men invaded the hostels, stole 33 mobile phones, and assaulted some students. Three phones and a cutlass were recovered at the scene. The ministry subsequently recommended urgent security measures around the hostels, intensified investigation, and the relocation of students to safer accommodation. It also called for the completion and commissioning of the college's new hostel facilities. The students' union official said the college has seven hostels, one for male students and six for females, but that students were still accommodated outside the premises. "We have seven hostels, one for male and six for female, but students are all located outside the premises of the college and there is no adequate security, which exposes us, the students, to danger," he said. The students also raised concerns over the continued use of hostels located outside the college premises despite the completion of hostel facilities within the institution.
The protest is the latest expression of a security crisis that has been building for months. In September 2025, Governor Agbu Kefas had directed the state Commissioner of Police to deploy security operatives to the area after meeting with students who narrated their experiences and appealed for help over the security situation. The students' vulnerability is further heightened by the lack of accommodation within the institution, as both students and staff reside outside the school premises. The recurring attacks have created a climate of fear among the student population, who say they cannot focus on their studies when their safety is under constant threat. The students are demanding urgent security measures from the school management and have insisted that academic activities will not resume until their concerns are addressed.
The incident has drawn attention to the broader problem of campus security in Nigeria, where off-campus hostels often lack basic security infrastructure such as perimeter fencing, lighting, and surveillance. The Taraba State Government has not yet issued a formal statement on the latest attack, and it remains unclear whether the promised security upgrades will be implemented this time. For the students of the College of Nursing Sciences, the protest is not merely about one attack. It is about a pattern of neglect that has left them exposed to violence in the very places they are supposed to feel safe. As they blocked the college gate on Monday, their message was clear: they are there to study, not to be killed, and they will not return to class until the authorities take concrete action to protect them.
The coming days will test whether the Taraba State Government and the college management respond with more than promises. The students have made their demands clear, and they have shown that they are willing to disrupt academic activities to force action. The question now is whether the authorities will treat the rape and assault of a nursing student as a crisis requiring urgent intervention, or as another statistic to be managed with assurances that never materialise. For the victim recovering in a Jalingo hospital, and for the hundreds of students who marched in protest, the answer will determine whether they can continue their education without fear. The attack has also raised questions about the accountability of college leadership. The alleged destruction of students' phones by the Provost during a peaceful protest has added a layer of controversy to an already volatile situation. Students are demanding not only better security but also accountability from those responsible for their welfare. The Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences is meant to train the next generation of healthcare workers. Instead, its students are fighting for the right to study without being attacked in their beds. That is a failure that no promise of future security can excuse.
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