Students of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, have protested against the state of insecurity on the institution’s campus and police brutality.
The students who were led by the Students’ Union Government President, Comrade Geoffrey George, gathered at the school gate as early as 8.15 am, carrying placards bearing different inscriptions such as: “End police brutality now,” “Protect, save, don’t abuse,” and “This extortion must stop,” among others.
Speaking to journalists, Comrade George recalled how students have suffered at the hands of the police, and hoodlums within the institution’s immediate community.
Last week, there was a trending video on social media, depicting a student of the institution being physically brutalized and humiliated by policemen.
“Students face extortion by policemen in Ikot Ekpene. We are not safe, especially students living in the communities within the school environment.
“Hoodlums snatch phones from students and even kill them. We have buried more than five students in the last year. They were killed by thieves who broke into their houses, collected their phones, and killed them while the police looked the other way,” he complained.
One of the students on condition of anonymity, said the protest will continue, in order to draw the government’s attention to the plight of students.
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“The rector called the SUG executives this morning, and warned that the protest should not continue. But we say no because our students are in danger.
” Nobody will stop us. We must cry out for the world to know that the police are not helping us here. Our colleagues are dying, while they are busy extorting money from poor students,” he said.
However, the Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, while reacting to the incident, said the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare has invited the students to a meeting to resolve all issues affecting them.
“The Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare invited the students to a meeting this morning. We are waiting for them to come. There would be no protest.
“Those students you saw at the school gate this morning, are preparing to come for the meeting with the police commissioner,” he said.
