The ongoing crisis at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka took a dramatic turn on Monday when armed policemen stormed the 57-year-old institution, arresting staff and student union leaders.
According to Daily Sun, the police arrived at the college around 1:00 PM and attempted to arrest student union leaders, who then raised the alarm about the presence of the security personnel.
The students have been protesting since last week against the return of embattled Provost, Dr. Ademola Azeez, and have demanded a meeting with the new Governing Council. In response, the students locked the Provost’s office and took to the streets, causing significant traffic congestion on Akoka Road.
The confrontation between the students and the police attracted the attention of staff union leaders and other workers, who questioned the presence of the armed policemen.
A senior staff member described the situation, saying, “At about 2:00 PM, the situation escalated when the armed policemen gained access to the college in an attempt to disperse the protesting students. The students raised an alarm, and staff union leaders intervened to prevent the arrest of student union leaders. In the ensuing resistance, the police fired teargas and live bullets.”
One student was hit, and many fainted after inhaling the teargas. A female student had to be resuscitated with an inhaler, while another struggled to breathe.
The chairman and secretary of the Senior Staff College of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN), Augustine Nwachukwu and O. Q. Kazeem, the newly elected chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), a former Vice President of SSUCOEN, and student union leaders were arrested and taken away by the armed policemen.
Following the arrests, other students went on a rampage, damaging several officers’ cars. Many staff and students sought refuge in their offices as the policemen confronted the students, who retaliated by pelting them with stones. Several female students fainted after inhaling the teargas, and staff and fellow students attempted to resuscitate them.
