Tension is mounting at the Gateway Institute of Technology, Igbesa, as students have taken to the streets to protest the alleged assault and unlawful detention of their fellow students by police officers attached to the Igbesa Division. The students are demanding the immediate release of their colleagues, who were reportedly arrested for being in possession of black soap.
The protesters, who besieged the police station while chanting solidarity songs, are calling for the release of the Student Union Government (SUG) president, Temitope Ilo, and another student who was detained by the operatives. According to sources, one of the students was found with a black soap during a routine stop-and-search operation and was subsequently locked up. This incident prompted the intervention of Ilo and other students.
On Tuesday evening, the SUG president and other students gathered at the station to meet with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and appeal for the release of their colleague. However, an argument ensued between the students and the police, leading to the alleged detention of the SUG president. In a video circulating on social media, a student with blood gushing from his mouth can be seen agitating in front of the police station, shouting that the police had threatened and beaten them. “They have decided to intimidate us, they have decided to beat us, without doing anything…” he said.
Before his alleged detention, the SUG president narrated how he attempted to see the DPO to intervene in the matter after noticing students agitating for the release of the student caught with black 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 had 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…” he recounted.
In response to the development, the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) and eight Student Union Governments (SUGs) of tertiary institutions in Ogun State have demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged assault and unlawful detention. They are calling for the sanction of the officers involved. NANS, through its Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, condemned the incident, describing it as both disturbing and unacceptable. The organization stated that the officers’ actions constitute not only a clear infringement on the fundamental rights of Nigerian students but also a threat to democratic student unionism and peaceful coexistence in tertiary institutions.
Additionally, the SUG presidents from eight institutions demanded a formal public apology from the Igbesa Police Division, sanctions against all officers involved in the alleged brutality and unlawful detention, as well as proper protection for students from harassment, intimidation, and illegal arrests by security personnel.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident. He stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, has directed that a thorough and immediate investigation be launched into the circumstances surrounding the event. Babaseyi reassured members of the public that any proven misconduct would attract appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with existing 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 added.
