No fewer than 12 students from the Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, sustained various degrees of injuries in a fracas between Christians and Muslims students in the campus.
Reports had it that 11 out of the 12 injured students were treated and discharged in the Polytechnic Clinic while the other student suspected to have fractured his right hand was referred to the Specialist Hospital, Yola for further treatment.
An eyewitness told INDEPENDENT that the fracas started in the early hours of Friday when a student whose name was not disclosed, snatched a cell phone from a lady student who came out to fetch water and ran into a mosque in an attempt to take refuge.
However, the shout of “Thief! Thief!” by the lady attracted other students who went after him and gave him the beating of his life before he was allegedly sneaked out of the Polytechnic premises.
It was also gathered that the Muslim students felt slighted, mobilised themselves and launched a reprisal attack on Christian students and the fracas went vice-versa in their different hostels.
The fracas also resulted in the destructions of hostel windows and lecture halls while other students who never showed interest in the fight and possible destruction of the school properties were seen trooping out of the Polytechnic.
Addressing the press on the issue, the Polytechnic Registrar, Mariya Adamu Nyako, dismissed the fracas as neither religious nor ethnic rather an incident of a cell phone thief who later ran into a nearby mosque for cover.
According to the Registrar, “No life was lost in the fracas as all academic activities in the Polytechnic are going on as expected.”
Also speaking, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Ibrahim Umar, who assumed duty on the same day the fracas occurred applauded the efforts of the security agencies for keeping vigil in the School.
On the cell phone theft, the Rector stated that the boy was arrested by security operatives, stressing that the initial step taken was to initiate peace. Thereafter, the issue of cell phone theft would be looked into with the aim of correcting the anomalies.
