Students of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, have called on the police authorities to reveal the identities of the officers allegedly involved in the death of a National Diploma II (ND 2) student last Wednesday, within 24 hours.
In a statement by the President of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the institution, Saheed Ishola, he stated that the trust of the entire Kwara State Polytechnic students in the police can only be regained through a diligent and thorough investigation by the Kwara Police Command, but only if the culprits are identified through a well-publicized police parade.
“We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian Police Force to respond to our demands. Otherwise, we may have no choice but to heed the call of the majority of our students, who are demanding a peaceful, continuous, and unrelenting protest to fight for justice,” the statement read.
It is recalled that the deceased, Abdulqoyum Bamidele, an ND 2 Electrical/Electronic Engineering student, was killed during a protest over the recent fuel price increase in Ilorin, the state capital.
“This act of parading suspects, as we all know, is a routine practice of the Nigerian Police Force. Therefore, we demand the unveiling of the culprits. Kwarans and indeed the general public deserve to know them.”
The students further insisted that disclosing the identity of the officer responsible for this heinous crime and holding the police accountable should happen without delay to calm the students and reassure the student community of the police hierarchy’s commitment to justice.
The students also demanded a transparent and thorough investigation into their colleague’s death, stating that “We are sure that there are several houses in the vicinity of the incident with Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage, which will make the investigation more straightforward.”
“Any attempt to delay the process or sweep the case under the carpet will be strongly resisted, and those involved in such a sinister plan will face the full force of the Kwara State Polytechnic family.”
The SUG President also demanded an immediate halt to stop-and-search operations along Post Office/Polytechnic routes, which have become notorious for police brutality and extortion.
“Police officers should be officially restrained from checking cell phones on highways.”
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PAYMENT OF RESTITUTION TO THE FAMILY: Without prejudice to the outcome of the investigation, we demand that the Kwara State Police Command, as the employer of the officers responsible for this tragedy, accept liability for cutting short the life and dreams of our colleague and provide comprehensive support to the family of the deceased.
“This should include monetary compensation, trauma counseling, and the establishment of a scholarship scheme for the siblings of the deceased.”
“These measures are small compared to what our colleague could have achieved for his low-income family had his life not been brutally cut short by agents of sorrow in police uniform.”
“The era of avoiding arrest is over. Henceforth, any student unjustly or illegally accosted on the road should remain calm and avoid resisting arrest. Instead, the student should request to be taken to the nearest police station and notify the Union Executives.”
“Under no circumstances should any student be forced to give police officers access to their phones, as it is an invasion of privacy.”
“I assure you, we will not rest until our demands are met. We will not be silenced or intimidated. We will rise, and our voices will not only be heard but will also count.”
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“To the police, we say: enough is enough, stop killing us. And to our fellow students, we say: let us stand together in this fight for justice.”
“We urge the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to side with the youth and students of this state. Our future is at risk if nothing is done to stop the ceaseless and senseless killings of future leaders by those sworn to protect us.”
“We also want to state categorically that the SUG is the only recognized student body under the law of the institution. Our members are not involved in any protests or violence in the name of demanding justice. We are law-abiding citizens, and we promise to demand justice within the bounds of the law.”
