PeakNews Online
On Monday, the ongoing crisis at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka intensified as armed policemen stormed the 57-year-old institution, arresting staff and student union leaders.
The armed policemen arrived at the college around 1:00 PM, attempting to arrest student union leaders who had raised the alarm about their presence. The students have been protesting since last week against the return of the embattled Provost, Dr. Ademola Azeez, and demanding a meeting with the new Governing Council.
The situation escalated when the students locked the door to the Provost’s office and took to the streets, causing significant traffic gridlock on Akoka Road. The standoff between students and police attracted staff union leaders and many workers who questioned the presence of armed policemen.
A senior staff member described the events: “Around 2:00 PM, the situation escalated, and the armed policemen entered the college to disperse the protesting students. The students raised the alarm, and staff union leaders intervened to prevent the arrest of student union leaders. In the ensuing resistance, the police fired tear gas and live bullets.”
Tragically, a student was hit, and many others fainted after inhaling the tear gas. One female student required resuscitation 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, along with the newly elected chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and a former Vice President of SSUCOEN, were among those arrested.
Following the arrests, other students went on a rampage, damaging several cars belonging to officers. Many staff and students took cover in their offices as the policemen continued to confront the students, firing tear gas canisters while the students retaliated by throwing stones.
The situation remains tense, with numerous female students fainting due to the tear gas, requiring resuscitation efforts from staff and fellow students
