Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic protest police brutality, insecurity

 Ini Billie, Uyo

Students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua have protested against police brutality and insecurity.

The students who protested along the streets of Ikot Osurua in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area carried placards with inscriptions like:  End Police brutality now”, “Protect, save, don’t abuse” and “This Extortion Must Stop,” among others.

The Student Union (SUG) President of the institution, Comrade Geoffrey, who led the protest said students have suffered at the hands of police and hoodlums in the community.

Geoffrey recalled that a video trended last week on social media where a student of the institution was beaten and dragged to the ground by policemen.

“Students face extortion by policemen in Ikot Ekpene. We are not safe especially those students living in the communities within the school environment.

“Hoodlums snatch phones from students and even kill them. We have buried more than five students in the last year. They were killed by thieves who broke into their houses, collected their phones and killed them while police looked the other way,” he stated.

One of the students activist who refused to be named said the protest is designed to draw government attention to the plight of students in the institution.

“The Rector called the SUG executives this morning and warned that the protest should not continue but we say no because our students are in danger.

“Nobody will stop us. We must cry out for the world to know that the police are not helping us here. Our colleagues are dying while they are busy extorting money from poor students,” he stated.

In her reaction, Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, DSP Timfon John said the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare has invited the student’s body to a meeting to resolve all issues affecting them.

“The Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare has invited the students to a meeting this morning. We are waiting for them to come. There would be no protest.

“Those students you saw at the school gate this morning are preparing to come for a meeting with the Police Commissioner” she stated.