Students of the Polytechnic Ibadan have expressed concern over the last Friday’s attack by suspected cultists during the school’s matriculation ceremony, and urged management to beef up security around the campuses.
Some suspected cult members had launched an attack on the institution during the matriculation ceremony of ND1 and HND1 students where some students were said to be injured. One of the students who preferred anonymity while speaking to journalists urged the management of the institution to bring the perpetrators to book. “I never expected this kind of stage drama. The school is not even safe for us as students.
“Yesterday was supposed to be a day of joy for me but it ended up been a day when I can never forget. The management should be able to bring those responsible to book so that they can be used as an example to others who are also threading this path,” he said. Another student,Thomas Samuel told journalists that the fight started through an argument.
“I was about going to take pictures with someone when I heard some persons arguing, and before I knew it, I saw two of those guys running and they came back with two different axes in their hands, threateningto kill each other. It was after this that another party came and they started shooting sporadically into the air and people ran helterskelter for their life.” “I was shocked when I heard the sound of gunshot because that would be my fi rst time witnessing that kind of scenario,” he said. Some of the students blamed the school security which they said did not live to its responsibility. They wondered how would the school security guards who do not have a cutlass not to talk of having a gun, face hoodlums who were well armed? The school should be able to do the needful so that the campus can be peaceful as we now live in fear.”
But, the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Alhaji Soladoye Adewole, while assuring the students of their protection said investigations are still going on to unravel what transpired during the attack. “Though investigations are ongoing, what we need now is for them to be unmasked so that we can know the next step,” he said.
