There was tension at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) on Friday after officers of the Nigeria Police Force stormed the campus and arrested some students.

Reports obtained by Naija News on Saturday morning revealed that the security operatives arrived at the school campus yesterday evening and began to fire gunshots in the air.

The incident reportedly happened at the time residents of the state were observing the forceful sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). 

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The President of the ESUT Students Union Government, Donatus Okolieuwa, condemned the development while addressing newsmen, saying it was unacceptable.

He identified the officers to have come from the anti-cult Unit of the Enugu State Police Command. Okolieuwa lamented the manner in which the security operatives stormed the varsity and called on Governor Peter Mbah to wade into the matter to enable the affected students to regain their freedom.

Okolieuwa said: “We, therefore, call on our kindhearted governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to intervene in this matter and use his good office to facilitate the release of our students. Our students should not be subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading punishment for no just cause.”

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Narrating how the incident took place, he said, “While I was in a student meeting at Dragon Relaxation Center, 82 Division, Enugu, a student called and told me around 5 pm/6 pm that armed men invaded the school cafeteria with two Hilux vans and a sienna bus, and fired a gunshot in the air. 

“Due to the manner in which they arrived, and owing to the stories of gunmen in society and the shooting in the air, the students who were in front of the cafeteria that evening hour started running away for their safety.

“In the process, the armed men started running after the students, surrendered them all, then entered the cafeteria and arrested everybody inside the cafeteria, including those who were playing games, including female students who came to the cafeteria to charge their phones and other electronic gadgets, the staff and manager of the cafeteria and members of our school security.

“On hearing this, I called our school Chief Security Officer to ascertain if he was aware of such an incident in the school; he said no, that he was not aware. He said he would get to the scene with his men immediately.

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“On getting there with his men, he noticed that the armed men were members of the Anti-Cult Squad, Enugu. It was there the school CSO, who they tried to intimidate, was able to identify and point out two of the arrested persons who are members of the school security operatives, and the two people were released.”

There Is Fear In The Campus

Okolieuwa further expressed concerns, saying the incident on Friday has caused fears among the students of the university.

He added that students of the school were humiliated, including the female ones, who they later released after seizing their phones and power banks while the police moved away with every other male student there.

“I contacted the Vice-Chancellor and the Department of State Services officers in charge of students, both the one in Agbani and that of Enugu. They were not aware of such an arrest, but they swung into action to ensure the release of the students. They assured me,” the SUG president said.

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Okolieuwa added: “Our Students are beginning to have the fear of not being safe even inside the school. Such invasion of the University by the members of the Anti-Cult team shows that the security of our students in the school is no longer guaranteed in the height of the insecurities ravaging society currently.

“Some armed men can come to the school and kidnap our students without the knowledge of our school security operatives. The students are ragging over the development.

“Inasmuch as we are totally against and are fighting criminality among students, we are not cool with the unwarranted harassment, intimidation, and breach of the fundamental rights of our students. The needful should be done and on time.

“It is a known fact that ESUT is a noble institution where social values and norms are upheld, and social vices are being jettisoned in its entirety as championed by our digital and pragmatic Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie.” 

However, the State Police Command has not issued any official statement on the matter. 

NAIJANEWS