OPERATIVES of Imo State Police Command have detained 23
students’ leaders of Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
The detention followed students protest on February 17, 2017
against the hike in tuition fees, course registration and internet fees, among
other grievances.
The peaceful protest was hijacked by suspected thugs,
leading to the reported vandalising of the school’s Senate building, Information
and Communication Technology centre and attack on a branch of Diamond Bank
situated on the campus.
Fifteen students were arrested by the police and later
released on bail to their parents.
On Monday, the students, who were asked to report to the state
Police Command headquarters for briefing in line with the strategies to restore
normalcy in the university were reportedly thrown into the cell again.
The only student, Collins Ogbonnaya, who was released on
bail by his lawyer around 6.30 pm, told our correspondent that 23 others
students were cooling their heels in the police cell as of the time of filing
this report.
He said, “As early as 9am today (Monday), I, alongside other
students being persecuted for crying out for social justice at Federal University
Of Technology, Owerri, who chose not to be like other sister institutions with
lowest tuition fees, went to the Commissioner of Police office for briefing as
regards the peaceful protest in February, only to see ourselves detained for
the second time.
“It took God’s intervention for me to be granted bail same
today at about 6.37pm, but over 23 others are currently in detention at the
police headquarters in Owerri.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the
University, Chikezie Ezenwa, said his office was not aware that the students
were rearrested.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Andrew
Enwerem, said the students were only invited, but were not detained.
Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said, “No
student was detained. The truth is that the matter was transferred from Owerri
Area Command to the state CID. They were allowed to go after meeting with those
handling the matter.”
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