‘He told me not to scream’ — UNIOSUN student alleges assault by soldier

A female student of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), identified simply as Ademola, has alleged that a soldier assaulted and attempted to sexually assault her during the reported invasion of student hostels by personnel from the Nigerian Army Depot, Osogbo.

The student made the allegation in a video shared online, where she recounted her ordeal during the incident, which reportedly occurred on Monday evening.

According to Ademola, she was alone in her hostel room preparing a meal when she first noticed soldiers around the area. She said the situation appeared to have calmed down before the soldiers allegedly returned.

She explained that the soldiers shone flashlights into her room and demanded to know who was inside before ordering her to open the door.

“They pointed their torch at my room and asked who was inside. They told me to open the door, and I did,” she said.

Ademola said one of the soldiers asked how many occupants were in the room, to which she replied that she and her roommate shared the room but that her roommate was away.

She alleged that the soldier then became aggressive, pinned her against the bathroom door and attempted to assault her.

“He pinned me to my bathroom door and told me I would like it. He also warned me not to shout. I kept begging him,” she said.

The student said she managed to free herself and moved toward the entrance, asking the soldier to leave her room.

According to her, another soldier later entered the room and also tried to calm her down while allegedly telling her not to scream.

“They kept telling me to calm down and that I would like it. I started shouting and screaming, and that was when they both left the room,” she alleged.

She said she immediately forced the door shut, adding that one of her hostel mates later came to check on her after hearing the commotion.

The incident followed the reported invasion of student hostels by soldiers attached to the Nigerian Army Depot, Osogbo, during which several students were allegedly assaulted and more than 60 mobile phones and other valuables were reportedly taken away.

Some female students also alleged that they were stripped naked and forced to dance unclothed by the soldiers, who were said to have participated in the Army Depot’s passing-out parade held last Saturday.

In response to the allegations, the Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, on Tuesday announced that it had launched an investigation into the incident following a petition by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D.

The Army said the investigation would establish the facts surrounding the allegations and assured the public that any personnel found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with military law.