Armed robbers injured students, stole phones, laptops, money
Management shuts institution indefinitely
By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi have staged a peaceful protest at the gate of the Polytechnic, over an armed robbery attack in their hostel that took place Tuesday night.
The students whose protest disrupted traffic flow on the Bauchi – Tafawa Balewa Federal Highway Wednesday morning, called on the authorities to take urgent actions to save them.
It was learnt that no fewer than 10 students of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi were variously wounded when armed robbers numbering more than 50 attacked the hostels within the premises in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the Students, the armed robbers invaded the hostels and attacked them at 2am pointing guns at them and in the process matchetted some of them who resisted.
Some of the students who spoke to Journalists decried the lack of adequate security in the institution making it porous for anyone to access even with the presence of internal security personnel.
The students who refused Lecturers and other Staff entrance into the Institution during the protest said that the living conditions in the hostels is terrible especially at night as there is not light making the area dark.
“We were sleeping when we heard noises from the other blocks, the armed robbers numbering more than 50 attacked us with guns and cutlasses, speaking in Hausa language.”
“Though did not kill anyone of us, they wounded some of the students seriously, one even had spinal cord injury” One of the students said
Another student who were injured and class representative of NDI Computer Science, Matta Musa, said that he was attacked on his head while several others were taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
The students accused the Police for not coming to their aid during the robbery attack despite the fact that they are stationed few meters away from at hostels at the main entrance of the Polytechnic.
SUG President Haruna Umar condemned the attack, calling it the first of its kind in the institution’s history. “This is students showing their grievances to management and authorities,” he said.
The protest turned tense as suspected hoodlums tried to hijack it, blocking the federal highway near campus. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, prompting some students to retaliate with stones before being overpowered.
Confirming the development, Bauchi State Police Command stated that its personnel were drafted to the Polytechnic in order to maintain law and order.
The Command PPRO, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, while speaking to Journalists at the scene explained, “The situation is calm now, as you can see, membetd of the public are going about their lawful engagements.”
According to him, “Yesterday night, some criminals entered into the boys hostels and stabbed some of the students forcing others to come out. They embarked on this protest.’
“The Nigeria Police Force, Bauchi State Command under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, would not remain on our oars in providing security to members of the public.”
“We are to give maximum security to the public and as you can see, the road blocked by the miscreants has been cleared as led by a Senior Police Officer so that members of the public can go without any disturbance,”
“Security is everybody’s business, we are not happy with the attitude of the students, we expected that they should have exhibited some decorum. As you can see, the Command has personnel stationed in front of the gate including our Taskforce vans to give maxim security to the citizens” The PPRO said
He added that the Divisional Police Headquarters in Yelwa is not far from the Polytechnic, the students should have reported the incident and not to take to the streets in protest and depriving other members of the public their rights of movement.
He said that, “We are here to ensure that minimum force is applied to douse the tension. The students should go back and allow security operatives to take charge of the situation.”
The Public Relations Officer of the Institution, Mr. Rabiu Wadda who spoke with our Correspondent explained that the management is engulfed in crisis management and has immediately shutdown the school indefinitely to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
“I have been in the school since 4:00am, trying to curtail this situation. As we speak, I have not gained entrance into the campus.
“Right now, I can’t precisely give you the accurate number of students who were affected but I know some students have been taken to the Hospital.”
He said that the management shutdown the campus to keep the students away from attack since the protests have been hijacked by hoodlums.
Meanwhile, Management of the Polytechnic has given notice of closure of Academic activities with immediate effect.
The notice of the closure, signed by Alh. Kasimu Salihu, Registrar, reads:
“Management of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi has received the disturbing news of some unscrupulous elements who invaded the male students’ hostel,
making away with their belongings and injuring about two students.”
“Consequent upon this sad development, students came out of the Polytechnic Main Gate to express their justifiable frustration, calling on Management to act,” The statement further contained.
It added that, “While Management acted immediately with all Principal Officers and Management Staff showing up to address the students and situation, it has been established that hoodlums who do not mean the students and the
institution well had taken over what was meant to a Peaceful Protest.”
The statement concluded, “Against the background of this ugly situation, the Management hereby orders the immediate closure of academic activities. By this order, Students are given Two (2) Hours within which to vacate the Polytechnic Campus, until further notice.”