Police arrest 50 Enugu university students
8th Jul 2023
Over 50 students of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) have been arrested by men of the state Police Command.
The Students Union Government (SUG) President of the institution, Donatus Okolieuwa disclosed this on Saturday.
He said that the students were picked up by the anti-cult squad on Friday evening in the university campus.
Okolieuwa who described the arrest of the students as detestable and condemnable, appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to wade into the matter to enable the affected students regain their freedom.
“We therefore call on our kind-hearted Governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to intervene in this matter, and use his good office to facilitate the release of our students. Our students should not be subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading punishment for no just cause.”
Asked how the incident took place, the SUG President narrated: “While I was in a students meeting at Dragon Relaxation Center, 82 Division, Enugu, a student called and told me that around 5pm/6pm armed men invaded the school cafeteria with two Hilux vans and one siena bus, and released gunshots in the air.
“Due to the manner in which they arrived, and owing to the stories of unknown gunmen in the society and the shooting in the air, the students who were in front of the cafeteria with drinks at that evening hour started running for their safety.
“In the process, the armed men started running after the students, surrounding all of them. Then they entered the cafeteria and arrested everybody inside the cafeteria, including those who were playing snookers, games, female students who came to the cafeteria to charge their phones and other electronic gadgets, the staff and manager of the cafeteria and members of our school security.
“On hearing this, I called our school CSO to ascertain if he was aware of such an incident in the school, he said no, that he is not aware, and that he will get to the scene with his men immediately.
“On getting there with his men, he noticed that the armed men were members of the Anti-Cult Squad, Enugu. It was there the school CSO, who they tried to intimidate, was able to identify two school security men who were later released.
“They humiliated our students including the female ones who they later released after seizing their phones and power banks. Then they move away with every other male student there.
“I contacted the Vice-Chancellor and the DSS officers in charge of students, both the one in Agbani and that of Enugu. They were not aware of such an arrest, but they have swung into action for the release of the students, they assured me.
The SUG President said, “Our Students are beginning to have the fear of not being safe even inside the school. Such invasion of the University by the members of Anti-Cult shows that the security of our students in the school is no longer guaranteed in the height of the insecurities ravaging the society currently.
“Some armed men can come to the school and kidnap our students without the knowledge of our school security operatives. The students are raging over the development.
“Inasmuch as we are totally against and are fighting criminality among students, we are not cool with the unwarranted harassment, intimidation and breach of the fundamental rights of our students. The needful should be done and on time.
“It is a known fact that Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT is a noble institution where social values and norms are upheld in its highest echelon, and social vices being jettisoned in its entirety as championed by our digital and pragmatic Vice-Chancellor; Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie.”
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