Bauchi Poly closed indefinitely after student protest over robbery incident
The authorities of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, on Tuesday announced the indefinite closure of the school after a violent protest by students over a late-night robbery at the male hostel.
In a statement signed by the Registrar, Alhaji Kasimu Salihu, the institution stated that it had received “disturbing news” about an attack by “unscrupulous elements” who broke into the male hostel, stole students’ belongings, and injured at least two of them.
“While management acted immediately with all principal officers and staff on ground to address the situation, hoodlums who do not mean the students or the institution hijacked what was meant to be a peaceful protest,” the statement said.
The authorities instructed all students to leave the campus within two hours due to security concerns and announced that the closure would continue until further notice.
According to our correspondent, the robbery happened during the night, and students claimed that the school had not provided adequate security.
The event triggered a morning protest, during which enraged students blocked the Bauchi–Dass Road and shut the institution’s main entrance.
The protest intensified when suspected hoodlums joined in, blocking the federal highway near the school. The police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, which led to some protesters throwing stones before they were subdued.
The SUG President, Haruna Umar, criticised the incident, calling it unprecedented in the history of the institution. “This is students showing their grievances to management and authorities,” he stated.
One of the victims, Matta Musa, a class representative of ND I Computer Science, suffered a head injury, while several others were taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil, said he was present at the scene to help restore order and assured that a detailed statement would be released once investigations had been concluded.
