From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
There was unrest at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, on Tuesday, as policemen and students of the institution engaged in battle.
The sporadic shooting to curb the students’ unrest threw residents of the town into panic.
The policemen were said to have raided a criminal hideout when a student was making video recording.
It was gathered that the attempt by policemen to arrest the suspect making video recording was repelled by students and crisis broke out.
The student simply identified as Hassan, ran into the campus premises and the policemen chased him.
A student, who introduced himself as Temitope, said Hassan was arrested and the arrest drew the attention of leadership of the Student Union Government who blamed the school security for allowing police to enter the campus.
He said, “students moved against the police and they started shooting sporadically to the air.
“Residents joined the students in protesting the arrest. They were shouting at them and attempted to attack the police at Timi’s market. There were intense gunshots at the market which forces traders to run for safety. The police took the student to A Division Police Station, Pere area before he was later released.”
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Sola Lawal confirmed the incident. He said, “OTM student, Hassan was reportted to be making video recording of policemen during an operation and he was arrested but later released on the instruction of Commissioner of Police, adding that the boy is back in the classroom.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, said “our men went to arrest some suspects but students turned it around to be police versus students. The matter had been settled.”
