The Youth Arise Movement (YAM) has called on authorities to immediately release 48 students of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi who were arrested during a campus protest against what they described as a surge in armed robbery incidents targeting students within and around the institution.
According to eyewitnesses, the protest began peacefully on Monday morning, with students carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs to draw attention to the growing insecurity on campus. Many alleged that the robberies had become more frequent in recent weeks, with students losing laptops, phones, and other valuables, while some victims reportedly sustained injuries.
The demonstration, however, turned tense after security operatives intervened. Police officers were said to have dispersed the protesters and arrested dozens, accusing them of unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, Youth Arise Movement National Coordinator, Comrade Ibrahim Suleiman, condemned the arrests as “an affront to the constitutional right to peaceful protest”.
“It is deeply troubling that instead of addressing the legitimate safety concerns raised by these young Nigerians, the response was to silence them with arrests. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all 48 detained students,” the statement read.
The group urged the Bauchi State Government, the Federal Ministry of Education, and security agencies to prioritise the safety of students, noting that campus insecurity threatens academic stability and could escalate into a broader crisis if left unaddressed.
Parents of some of the detained students, who spoke to reporters, expressed worry over their children’s welfare and called for dialogue between school authorities, security agencies, and student representatives.
As of press time, the Bauchi State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident.
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