By 
By Abdullahi Olesin
The brazen attack launched against law enforcement agents on Thursday, February 22,2024 by some students of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete is a sad reminder of the need for the stakeholders in the affairs of the university reputed for running unbroken academic calendar to rise to the challenges of cultism and cybercrime amongst the students of the institution.
The stakeholders, including the religious/ community leaders of the host community, the management of the institution as well as the state government which owns the institution must rise to curtail the twin- evil of cultism and cybercrime bedeviling the institution and which is capable of stunting its growth.
Besides, such tendencies if allowed to fester will rob off on the image of Kwara, reputed as home of peace and harmony and have the tendency to scare away prospective investors from the state. Many prominent Nigerians, including top security officers had at different times and fora adjudged the state as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.
The stakeholders must let the students understand that as leaders of tomorrow both in public and private sectors they may find themselves in Nigeria , they must appreciate that officials of the EFCC , NDLEA and other security agencies are patriots to sanitize the society free of crimes and vices capable of destroying their tomorrow .
They should counsel the students to join hands and cooperate with such state institutions working to make Nigeria better and for practical actualisation of their dreams for a brighter tomorrow.
The security agencies and relevant agencies like the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), supported by the Kwara State government are doing their best to stamp out cultism and cybercrime, not only from KWASU, but across the length and breath of the state.
However, the unfortunate incident of Thursday when some irate students of KWASU marched to the divisional police headquarters in Malete, hauling stones at officers and infrastructure in the place underscores the fact that more still needs to be done in stamping out these vices from KWASU, Malete and its environs.
The students of the institution were protesting the sting operation carried out by the operatives of EFCC in the previous day ( Wednesday) during which 48 out of the 50 people arrested for alleged cybercrime were KWASU’s students.
They chased a vehicle mistaken for an NDLEA’s to the Malete divisional police headquarters and started throwing stones at the facility, injuring a police officer and destroying some property, including a mosque, in the process.
The effrontery of the protesing students put the entire community into panic and people had to scamper to safety.
The management of KWASU, in a late night statement on Thursday indicated that the students unrest was precipitated by the sting operation carried out by the EFCC and NDLEA operatives in Malete earlier on that day.
In the statement signed by the registrar of the institution, Dr Kikelomo Sallee, the management confirmed that no one was shot and no life was lost to the unrest that broke out in the community.
The statement reads:” Following the unrest that broke out this evening in Malete, the Management of Kwara State University wishes to inform all students and staff of KWASU that peace has been restored to Malete community.We therefore, urge all to remain calm and lawful.
“We also wish to state that contrary to reports on social media, no one was shot, and no live was lost in the unrest.
“Management has been liaising with, and will meet the EFCC and NDLEA on the arbitrary sting operations on our student body. Management does not condone rough handling of bona fide students of our great University, and we urge our dear students to uphold peaceful and orderly conduct for which our Great KWASU is known.
“We are committed to providing a safe and enabling environment for our students and will ensure that they learn, develop, and graduate within the stipulated time frame. As such, the Harmattan semester examinations that is currently ongoing will continue as scheduled.
“We urge all Great KWASUsites to remain calm and go about their lawful activities without fear.”
For it’s part, the Kwara State Police Command, in a statement on Friday, confirmed the attack on its divisional police headquarters, Malete by some KWASU students.
The command in the statement signed by its spokesperson, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi also confirmed that one of its officers was injured while a mosque inside the facility was destroyed by the protesing students.
The statement reads: “The attention of Kwara State Police Command has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media space. The Commissioner of Police, CP Victor Olaiya seeks to address the recent gatherings by students of Kwara State University (KWASU)on February 22, 2024.
“Reports indicate that the gatherings, which began at about 1600hrs, centered around grievances related to the recent raids on Black-spots around the schools premises by operatives of NDLEA. Students living off Campus,expressed their dissent, 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”.
“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 police men from Ila-orangun led by Inspr 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 rooftop of the mosque and wind screen of vehicles parked in the station. The Policemen fired tear gas cannisters to disperse the violent crowd to 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.
“Meanwhile, the DPO Shao Division and three other tactical teams are presently on ground to support the efforts in de-escalating the situation.
“The CP urged all students of KWASU involved in this act to exercise some restraints and work towards resolving issues through peaceful dialogue.
In its response to a publication on the Malete crisis, the EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Command,said its operatives was not involved in any joint operation with men of NDLEA in Malete on Thursday, let alone shooting any student.
“The said report was fabricated as the operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC neither visited Kwara State University on Thursday, February 22, 2024, nor had any joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
” The only operation by the Commission happened a day earlier and involved the arrest of 48 students of Kwara State University. It was a well-coordinated and professional exercise devoid of any incident. And no other agency was involved in the operation.
“The public is enjoined to be wary of fabricated stories designed to mislead the public about the works of the EFCC or incite the people against the Commission.
“EFCC remains focused, un-fazed by blackmail and totally committed to its mandate of tackling all forms of economic and financial crimes in Nigeria,” the EFCC said in the statement signed by its head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale.
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