Students go on rampage over unpaid tuition

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.

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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.

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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.”