By Emmanuel Thomas I Friday, July 03. 2026
LAGOS, Nigeria – The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the alleged invasion of students’ hostels at Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo, by personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Reports emerged over the weekend alleging that soldiers stormed off-campus student residential areas, assaulting several students, confiscating personal property, and subjecting female students to degrading treatment, including sexual assault and rape.
Reacting to the development, Obi described the reports as “troubling” and stated that such actions undermine the honor of the military.
”Every Nigerian deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” Obi said in a statement. “Our Armed Forces are renowned for their courage, discipline, and sacrifice in defending our nation. They are not known for such barbarity against the very citizens they are sworn to protect.”
The former Anambra State governor called on the military hierarchy to launch an immediate, open, and unbiased investigation into the incident to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law.
”I therefore urge the military high command to conduct a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into these allegations. Anyone found culpable should be brought to justice,” he added.
Obi emphasized that holding the erring personnel accountable is vital to restoring public confidence in national institutions and protecting the reputation of the military, maintaining that “a nation that respects human dignity builds confidence in its institutions. We must never tolerate impunity or the abuse of power.”
This development follows growing friction between civilian populations and security personnel in various parts of the country, often escalating into raids on civilian spaces. UNIOSUN, which operates a non-residential policy for a large portion of its student body, has many of its students living in off-campus hostels within host communities like Osogbo, Ikire, and Ifetedo.
Hostel raids by security agencies—often under the guise of intelligence gathering, cybercrime crackdowns, or retaliatory measures—have frequently drawn criticism from civil society organizations and student unions across Nigeria.
In similar past incidents, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and university authorities have repeatedly called for better security coordination to protect students living off-campus from arbitrary harassment.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the headquarters of the Nigerian Army nor the management of Osun State University had issued an official joint statement confirming the specific military unit involved or the total number of casualties.