Scores Injured, 50 Vehicles, Building Destroyed in Auchi Poly Students’ Riot

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Pandemonium broke out on Thursday at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, as scores of rampaging students sustained various degrees of injuries following a violent protest over the alleged refusal of the management of the institution to allow students who had not paid their school fees to sit for examination.

Over 50 vehicles belonging to some staff and management were said to have been destroyed by the angry students while some offices had their louvres smashed in the riot that lasted for over four hours.

Trouble was said to have started when security personnel at the polytechnic prevented some students from sitting for the examination in accordance with the directives of the management.

Consequently, some of the students who were said to have forced their way into the examination hall had their examination booklets torn by the security officials.

They were said to have resisted the security agents on ground and insisted that they should be allowed to write the exams like other students, a development which led the violent protest.

Some of the irate students were said to have lamented the new policy of no school fees, no examination by the new Rector of the school.

The Public Relation Officer, Auchi Polytechnic, Mustapher Oshiobugie, who confirmed the incident, however said the situation has been brought under control and blamed students who had not been properly registered by paying their fees for the violent protest.