Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have allegedly assaulted and brutalized students of the Gateway Institute of Technology, Igbesa, on Tuesday.
DAILY POST learnt that the incident began when one of the student was stopped, searched and found with a ‘black soap’.
The student was allegedly arrested and locked up leading to the intervention of the SUG president, Ilo Temitope, alongside other students.
In one of the circulating videos seen by our correspondent, Temitope said, “I met some of comrades and the students were outside the station. I asked them what happened and they told me that one of our students was arrested with a soap.
“I asked to see the DPO and we were refused and asked to come back tomorrow. The students refused and started singing aluta songs that the student have been locked up in the cell. Immediately those officers riding small cars came and then MS wanted to shoot us. He cracked the gun wanting to shoot us and the DPO came…………”
It was gathered that Temitope was also assaulted and unlawfully detained while trying to intervene on behalf of students of the institution.
Our correspondent observed that in another video, a student dressed in a blue round neck polo was seen with blood gushing from his mouth and agitating in front of the police station.
He said, “They have decided to intimidate us, they have decided to beat us, without doing anything…..”
Also a female voice was heard in the background saying, “The SUG president is inside the station currently, he has been beaten and even the DPO was part of the people beating the SUG president.”
Reacting to this, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, described the incident as disturbing and unacceptable, adding that the action of the officers is not only a direct violation of the fundamental rights of Nigerian students but also an attack on democratic student unionism and peaceful coexistence within tertiary institutions.
The student body demanded an immediate investigation into the incident, stressing that the officers involved in the act must be identified and sanctioned accordingly.
Meanwhile, other SUG presidents from eight institutions in the state also asked for an official public apology from the Igbesa Police Division, disciplinary action against every officer involved in the brutalization and unlawful detention and adequate protection of students against harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrest by security operatives.
Responding, the Police Spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, in a statement quoted the State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, to have ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Babaseyi assured the public that where any misconduct is established, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken in line with extant regulations.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, has ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The Command assures the public that the matter is receiving prompt attention and that due process will be strictly followed to establish the facts. Where any misconduct is established, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken in line with extant regulations,” he said.
He reiterated the command’s commitment
to professionalism, discipline, and respect for the rights of all residents, including students, calling for calm while the investigation is ongoing.
“The Command further assures that justice will be pursued without compromise, and the outcome of the investigation will be communicated in due course” the statement added.
