I am a 19-year-old student in a Nigerian university. When I left home for school, my parents told me, “Focus on your studies, we’ll handle the rest.” They believed I would be safe inside the campus walls. But the truth is, every night I go to bed in fear.
Our hostel is supposed to be a home. Instead, it feels like an open market for danger. The fences are broken, anyone can stroll in. The gate is hardly ever locked. There are no lights outside, so once the sun goes down, the shadows swallow everything. Sometimes strange men linger near the compound, and we are too afraid to fetch water or even step outside.
Every creak in the night makes my heart race. I think of the stories, girls kidnapped, assaulted, silenced. And I wonder: will I be next?
Dear Government, you say education is the key to the future. But how can we study when we are not safe? How can young women thrive in their books when we must sleep with one eye open?
We need action, not promises.
Build strong fences around hostels.
Provide streetlights so darkness doesn’t hide predators.
Employ trained security officers who take their jobs seriously.
Give us emergency hotlines we can trust.
We don’t want to become names in the news before you take us seriously. We don’t want our parents to regret sending us to school. We are young, we are innocent, and we are the future you speak of in every speech.
So please, protect us. Don’t leave us in the dark.
Sincerely,
A Nigerian student who just wants to feel safe.
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