Students of D.S. Adegbenro Polytechnic, Itori, on Tuesday barricaded the Itori-Ewekoro section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in protest over the killing of a final-year student during a robbery attack.

The demonstration followed an overnight raid by armed robbers on a student hostel in Eruku community on Monday, during which several students were robbed of their belongings and three others sustained gunshot injuries.

The deceased, a female final-year student, was reportedly shot during the attack and taken to Shodipo Hospital in Eruku, where medical personnel confirmed her dead.

One of the injured victims was later referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, for further treatment.

Speaking during the protest, Students’ Union President, Opeyemi Ogunuga said the attack was the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting students around the institution. He alleged that students frequently face robbery attacks while travelling to and from the campus despite repeated appeals for improved security.

Ogunuga urged the Ogun State Government, security agencies, and other relevant authorities to deploy stronger security measures in the school environment and neighbouring communities to prevent further attacks.

He stressed that students should be able to pursue their education without fear for their safety and called for urgent action to restore confidence in the security of the area.

Responding to the protesters, the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force in Ewekoro, Seyi Williams, described the incident as tragic and assured the students that a comprehensive investigation had commenced. He pledged that those responsible would be apprehended and prosecuted.

Williams also appealed to the students to reopen the highway, noting that the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway is a major federal road used daily by thousands of commuters and that the protest was causing significant traffic disruption.

In the aftermath of the incident, the polytechnic postponed examinations scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday until Friday. The decision was announced in a statement signed by Gideon Adekunle, Chairman of the institution’s Timetable, Examination and Academic Calendar Committee, to allow affected students time to recover from the incident.