On Thursday, a group of aggrieved students from Kwara State University, Malete, attacked the town’s divisional police station. The incident followed a raid by operatives of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on suspected black spots around the school premises.
The spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command DSP Ejire Adeyemi Toun, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that “reports indicated that the gatherings, which began at about 1600hrs, centred around grievances related to the recent raids on black spots around the school’s premises by operatives of NDLEA.”
She explained that the students who live off campus expressed their dissent, and marched from various parts of the town to Okoru Junction close to Malete Police Division, carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Say No to NDLEA.”
DSP Ejire added that efforts were made to engage with the students, persuading them to return to their respective hostels and maintain peace.
“In the process, they encountered a white Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration number Lagos AGL 574 HZ, occupied by four armed policemen from Ila-orangun led by Inspector Ibrahim Ali and three others on an official assignment to Malete.
“They were mistaken for operatives of drug law enforcement agents. Consequently, the students chased them to Malete Divisional Police Headquarters, where the students began to throw stones into the police station.
“Regrettably, this led to some damages to the station’s rooftop and windscreen of vehicles parked in the station. The Policemen fired tear gas canisters to disperse the violent crowd and prevent further damage at the police station.
“Additionally, one police officer, PC Fayemi Kehinde, sustained minor injuries as a result of the stones thrown at the police station. He was given first aid treatment at the hospital and discharged,” she added.
The PPRO said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Shao Division and three other tactical teams are on the ground to support the efforts to de-escalate the situation.
She noted that the state Police Commissioner, Victor Olaiya, urged students involved to exercise restraints and work towards resolving issues through peaceful dialogue.
