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| Bauchi: Police Use Teargas on Students Amidst Protest Over Robberies and Assaults |
Students from the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, along with Gwallameji community members, demonstrated on Tuesday, obstructing a federal thoroughfare to protest the ongoing armed robberies and sexual attacks on female students.
The demonstrators ignited old tires and various objects, causing a blockade on the bustling Bauchi-Tafawa Balewa Road and halting commercial operations for hours.
The police ultimately dispersed the demonstrators with teargas.
An anonymous student reported to Daily Trust that the protests were triggered by continuous invasions of student accommodations, where residents, particularly women, were often violated and robbed. “The police's use of teargas intensified our frustration,” the student expressed.
The most recent incident took place early on Tuesday when an estimated 40 to 50 armed bandits raided the student community, hitting several residences, as per Daily Trust.
The Bauchi State Police Command acknowledged the demonstration in a communique from the Command's Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil.
He reported that the students' blockade was a reaction to a criminal assault that resulted in the robbery and injury of a local, Cletus Chomo, 50, from Sarauniya Lodge, Gwallameji.
Wakil noted that police units were promptly deployed to manage the situation, and a wounded individual was transported to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, where they are currently recovering.
