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On Monday, an X user, Rasaq Hammed, claimed that Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo state, had been shut down following an alleged invasion by bandits.
His comment came amid protests by members of the Take It Back Movement and some teachers in Ibadan over the May 15 abduction of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers across three schools in the Oriire axis of Ogbomoso.
During the attack, the assailants killed an assistant head teacher and a motorcyclist at Community High School in Ahoro Esiele, one of the affected schools.
Days later, the bandits beheaded Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, after tying him to a tree in captivity.
The incident sparked outrage on social media, culminating in pockets of protests over the past few days.
On Monday, protesters stormed the government house in Ibadan, demanding the urgent rescue of the kidnapped victims.
Hammed claimed that, due to escalating tensions, LAUTECH had been shut down and advised parents to come to the university the following day to pick up their children.
“LAUTECH has been closed down today by the University Authority due to the bandits that invaded the Institution,” he wrote.
“Parents and Guardians are advised to come tomorrow and take their children.
“When they are coming, they should not come to Ogbomoso through Iseyin road but through Ibadan route because bandits are already in Ogbomoso town.
“Also, they should not enter Ogbomoso during the night or before daybreak. Kindly help to send this information to other platforms. Thanks. This is so sad. May God heal our land.”
He thereafter tagged Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, and President Bola Tinubu, saying: “I think you guys should resign if you can’t protect us anymore.”
Some X and Facebook users, as seen here and here, also shared the post, which has now circulated on WhatsApp.
VERIFICATION
In a circular dated May 20, 2026, the university management directed all students to proceed on a one-week break from May 22 to celebrate the recent Eid-el-Kabir with their families.
It added that academic activities would resume on campus on Monday, June 1, after the break.
“All students are therefore advised to take note of these dates and ensure prompt resumption, as academic activities will proceed without delay,” the statement signed by Olayinka Balogun, registrar, reads.
Since May 24, when the university posted the circular on its Facebook and X pages, it has not issued any statement indicating a change in the resumption date.
Speaking with TheCable on Thursday, Lekan Fadeyi described Hammed’s post as “pure lies”, noting that students resumed on Monday and continued the tests that were interrupted by the Eid-el-Kabir break.
“It’s pure lies. Students are around, continuing with their tests that were interrupted by the Eid-el-Kabir break,” he said.
VERDICT
The claim is false.