Students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic protest against police brutality, extortion, and insecurity in the community
Students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, took to the streets on Monday morning, protesting over escalating issues of insecurity, extortion, and police brutality within the school environment.
The protestors, led by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) president, Comrade Geoffrey George, gathered in front of the school gate, holding placards with bold messages such as “End Police Brutality Now”, “Protect, Save, Don’t Abuse”, and “This Extortion Must Stop”. However, the protest was abruptly dispersed by police officers using teargas.
The protest comes in response to increasing reports of police and hoodlum violence in and around the campus.
Comrade George voiced the students’ frustrations, stating that they had been subjected to frequent harassment by police officers, especially those stationed in the Ikot Ekpene area.
He cited a particularly disturbing incident that had recently gone viral on social media, where a student was seen being beaten and dragged by policemen.
“We are not safe, especially those students living within the local communities around the school,” George said. “There have been numerous incidents where hoodlums snatch phones from students, and in some tragic cases, kill them.
Over the last year, we have buried more than five students, killed by thieves who broke into their homes and stole their phones. Meanwhile, the police seem to turn a blind eye to these crimes.”
Another student activist, who chose to remain anonymous, emphasised the urgency of the protest, declaring that they would not be deterred by the rector’s intervention.
“The rector called the SUG executives this morning, urging us to stop the protest, but we will not back down. Our students are in danger, and we must raise our voices.
The police are not helping us, and our colleagues continue to die while the authorities are busy extorting money from us.”
The protest has drawn significant attention to the broader issue of student safety and police misconduct. The activists expressed a deep sense of frustration, as students feel they are not receiving the protection and support they desperately need from local authorities.
In response to the protests, the Police Public Relations Officer for Akwa Ibom, DSP Timfon John, stated that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, had already taken steps to address the concerns of the students.
John confirmed that the Commissioner had invited the protesting students for a meeting on Monday morning, in an effort to resolve the issues at hand.
“We are waiting for the students to come for the meeting with the Police Commissioner,” DSP John remarked, attempting to calm the tense situation.
As the students remain resolute in their fight for justice, the eyes of the community and the public will be on the ongoing dialogue between the students and law enforcement, with hopes of finding a resolution to the troubling matters of police brutality, extortion, and insecurity that continue to plague the students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic.
