School shuts as students protest police brutality in Akwa Ibom
Uko Okon, Uyo
Students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, took to the streets on Monday morning to protest alleged insecurity, extortion, and police brutality.
The students, led by the Student Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Geoffrey George, gathered at the school gate, displaying placards with inscriptions such as “End Police Brutality Now” and “This Extortion Must Stop”.
Speaking, George said students have suffered at the hands of police and hoodlums within the community.
He said just last week, a trending video on social media was seen where a student of the institution was beaten and dragged, rolling on the ground by policemen.
According to him, “Students face extortion by policemen in Ikot Ekpene. We are not safe especially those 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 police looked the other way.
“One of the students activists who spoke on condition of anonymity said the protest must continue to draw government attention to the plight of students in the institution.
” The Rector called 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 is not helping us here. Our colleagues are dying while they are busy extorting money from poor students.”
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer for Akwa Ibom (PPRO) DSP Timfon John said the state Commissioner of Police Baba Mohammed Azare has invited the students for a meeting to resolve all issues affecting them.
“The Commissioner of Police Baba Azare has invited the students to a meeting this morning. We are waiting for them to come. Those students you saw at the school gate this morning are preparing to come for a meeting with the Police Commissioner.”
