Students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA) on Monday protested over alleged incessant harassment and extortion by some people suspected to be thugs and cultists at the entrance of the school.
The protesting students who converged on the Road Block area of the state capital, as early as 8 am, blocked the major road, causing traffic gridlock on the ever-busy road which extended to the Akure-Ilesha highway.
Two of the students were, however, hit by a commercial driver while trying to manouvered his way through the blockade, but the two victims were rushed to the hospital while the driver of the vehicle tried to escape from the scene.
One of the students who gave his name as Ayobami said some thugs on Sunday evening attacked the School’s Students Union leader who tried to question the suspected thugs after chasing some students into the school premises.
He said, “We are here to express our displeasure at what has been happening in our school in the past months. The boys at South gate are cultists and also indigenes of the community who keep harassing our students and keep asking them for money.
“If you are well dressed they will stop you and collect your money. Sometimes they forced students to make a bank transfer. They beat up our student union leader yesterday. We want the government to take action about the incidents”
Another student who gave his name as Emmanuel said the protest was to express their dissatisfaction over the incident, saying the students have been going through some pains over the attacks by the suspected thugs and cultists.
“I have been in this school for the past six years. There have always been cases of cultists and thugs harassing students, especially the fresh ones.
“They are indigenous of Akure. We have identified some of these thugs and informed security and the school management but nothing was done. We are now going to protect ourselves. Police will make arrests but they are always released and returned with more force. We will continue this protest for the next seven days.”
The spokesman for the institution, Adebanjo Adegbenro, said it was not a protest but a sensitisation march against the actions of some persons living close to the South gate who have been bullying some of the young students.
“Sometimes, they also robbed them. It is a sensitisation march and also to let the security know the behaviour of these individuals.
“We have done and still do all we can to ensure the security of the students. We are also in constant engagement with the community to ensure those things do not fester.
“Our duty is to make a report. It is the police that will make the arrest and prosecute.”
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