THE Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Kogi State Polytechnic chapter and the state government have disagreed over the invasion of the school campus by men of the Nigerian Army in the wake of an accident the claimed the life of one of the students of the polytechnic.
The union wanted President Muhammadu Buhari and the chief of Army Staff Lt. General Tukur Buratai, to investigate the alleged invasion and brutalisation of both students and staff of the institution by some soldiers on the alleged order of the state government
The invasion was said to have occurred when the students were protesting against the killing of their colleague by a truck belonging to Dangote Cement Company, which was involved in an accident near the front gate of the main campus in Lokoja.
However, the chairman of ASUP, Mr Gboloromi Samuel, condemned the action of the Army whom he said allegedly stormed the campus moving from classroom to classrooms brutalising students and staff who were supervising semester examinations.
He said, “Soldiers who were armed to the teeth stormed the campus, entered every corner even our bedrooms arresting both students, lecturers, and non-academic staff, hounding them into detention, even as they were shooting teargas sporadically, into classrooms and offices.
“In fact, two heavily pregnant female students were forced to lay down on their tummies until they fainted before they were rushed to the hospital. Many of our colleagues were hospitalised, as the soldiers went from campus churches to mosque to arrest even the worshippers.
“It is barbaric and those soldiers involved should not only apologise but should be brought to book. It is unfortunate that in a democratic setting, soldiers would storm an academic environment to brutalise, humiliate and arrest students who were protesting the death of their colleagues.
“Even in a war situation, once one run into a church or mosque, one will be left alone but these soldiers violate rules of engagement by brutalising and arresting hapless students, they should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.”
Samuel however warned against using the military in a civil or students protest, stressing that the police which is constitutionally empowered should be used in civil matters to prevent the loss of lives of the innocent future leaders.
But the state government through the Special Adviser to the governor on security matters, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), said it was the students and ASUP that should apologise for their actions.
He blamed the students for invading the highways vandalising and burning three trucks belonging to Dangote cement company.
Omodara said, ” When I got the report that the students were rioting, although the incident was regrettable, we moved in swiftly to curtail the excesses of the students, who had taken to the highways barricaded and burning tires, harassing and injuring commuters and passersby.
“It is painful that their colleague died, but that was not a justification to take laws into their hands. we called in security personnel, such as Police, Civil Defence and the Department of state security DSS to restore sanity and it was at this point that I went there. There was total lawlessness as hoodlums have taken over. Then I informed the commissioner of Police to send reinforcement and Army backup to curtail the riot.
“All the roads were barricaded and tyres being burnt and commuters molested and three of the commuters lost their lives and I said, does the accident warrant them to destroy public properties. The students later went to their campus to vandalise school properties before the police and the Army went in. Army did not invade the school, rather, they came in after the situation became uncontrollable. it was like war scenario.
“ASUP should apologise on behalf of the students for invading the highways and killing three innocent persons and not being able to control their students whom they are leading and not to always looking for the negative sides of every issue.”
Omodara added that the state government has commenced the process to avert future occurrence, stressing that speed breakers may be built on those spots after due diligence and to erect flyover at the polytechnics spot.
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