The students of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, have gone on a disastrous rampage, destroying school property worth millions.
The students of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko went on a rampage over unpaid tuition, leaving a trail of disaster in their wake.
After
venting their anger over the tuition costs in the school, the scene of
the carnage shows burnt cars and buildings set ablaze during the
incident.
The
reports revealed that a student who is yet to be identified, was
stabbed to death during the fracas, raising suspicion that cultists may
have taken advantage of the situation.
The irate
students are said to have taken over the Gboko-Aliade road, closing off
traffic for almost 48 hours, looted the institution with the aid of
touts who hijacked the protest, further aggravating an already bad
situation.
Police officers sent to the scene in order to sustain the peace reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries.
A
management staff of the institution disclosed that the madness began on
Tuesday, August 30, when some selected students barred from writing
their examinations due to failure to pay their school fees, attempted to
stop the examinations, reports Vanguard.
“The
students who could not pay their tuition moved into the examination
halls and started chasing away other students, insisting that the
examination should not hold since they were not allowed to write it.
“Soon
the aggrieved students started throwing stones and quickly moved to
destroy cars and other property in the institution, including the
administrative block of the polytechnic which they razed. Consequently
the authorities immediately shutdown the school to forestall further
destruction. But the students reconvened on Wednesday morning and
initiated another round of rampage which they extended to the ever-busy
Gboko-Aliade road.
“At that point the
crisis had degenerated into a clash between rival cult groups who also
engaged security operatives drafted in to protect lives and property in
the institution in a fierce battle.
“In
the event, one of the students was later found dead in his own pool of
blood and it was discovered that his phone, identification card and
anything that could give a clue as to who he was had been taken away
from him. We suspect that he was probably stabbed to death by a rival
cult group because an examination on his body by the police showed that
he was stabbed in the chest.”
The proprietor of the institution, Fr. Chris Utov,
who was away in Israel for medical attention during the incident,
condemned the actions of the students while speaking on the incident. He
described the actions of the students as "unwarranted and inexcusable."
“The
institution is privately owned and it is what we generate from within
that the institution is funded; lecturers are paid and facilities are
put in place for the benefit of the students. The students know these
basic facts; that is why it is rather strange that they would opt to go
on rampage on an issue that ordinarily shouldn’t be a reason for any
form of crisis.”
Lamenting the level of
destruction meted out on the institution, the proprietor said the
actions of the students may have been provoked by external forces.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Moses Yamu,
confirming the incident, first debunked insinuations that the dead
student was killed by security agents, maintaining that the force did
not implement the use of force in putting an end to crisis.
Yamu
allowed reporters access to the remains of the dead student proving
beyond doubt that the victim died from a stab wound and not a bullet
wound.
He added:
“The
wound on him showed that he was obviously stabbed probably by rival cult
members who took advantage of the crisis to create mayhem in the
school. From available records, the rampaging students destroyed several
property, razed the administrative block of the institution and burnt
six vehicles, including one belonging to the Police.
“So
far we have a record of two injured police officers, while 22 students,
including those who were busy looting the institution’s property, have
been arrested.
“As I speak to you the
management of the institution has shut down the school, peace has
returned to the campus and we have already commenced investigations into
the matter.”
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