Features: The “Vigilant-Tales” in Awo Hall

 

"This security guard has entered our room like three times now, and it's already getting too much. The first two times, he was with cutlass. Sh'on fe pa wa ni? Does he want us to die in our sleep? In the middle of the night, you are standing in our room with cutlass and torch, and we don't even know how he entered in the first place. He was complaining about our door; that we did not lock it. He was using his cutlass to bang the bunk. Me, I will go and report o. I will report to the school authorities because I don't understand what is going on again. He came this morning and he was staying there. We locked our door. He said we should open the door and was asking us why we were using that kind of lock. That he will like to get a new one for us. See, this is too much o... The first time he came, I was wearing pant and bra top. Ah! I know I don't have bum bum o, but me, I have something I want to protect o!"

We have had reports of Obafemi Awolowo Hall vigilantes intruding the privacy of the hall residents rudely. What shall we say of a security guard who has turned the middle of the room of half-naked residents into a duty post?According to a recorded audio, the hall residents expressed their frustration.

Another Awoite had something to say concerning the recurring incident:

"If not for this girl that talked this morning, I wouldn't have said anything. 'Cause this matter is not funny anymore. The day before yesterday, my roommate and I went to the toilet so when we came back, the next we heard was somebody banging on our door. We were very scared. He was hitting the door heavily. So we asked who it was, and he replied, "I'm the one. I'm checking if your door is locked." Let's even assume our door was not locked, was he supposed to try to enter? In my room, we sleep naked."

We want to believe that the hall management will take necessary actions, as this situation seems to be getting at the students already. Even if the residents had weak door locks as the vigilante claimed, is it right for him to intrude their privacy? This is a situation that could easily be reported to the porters. Moreso, isn't the hall responsible for providing good locks for the students?

The complaint about the disturbance the students get from the vigilante was not made by just one or two Awoites. Another Awoitesays:

"This thing is not funny anymore. He has entered our own three times for God's sake. This morning, he went to bring the porters. He didn't even allow us to say anything before he started explaining to them so that we wouldn't say anything... This is not funny at all. If he comes to our room again, I will shout ole! Maybe we should gather together and beat him."

The vigilantes who are supposed tobe protecting the hall residents are gradually making them lose their sense of protection and privacy. We hope to hear no more of these disheartening tales.

- Penblaze