Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel

Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed robbers on Monday at about 4am invaded male students’ hostels at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, dispossessing occupants of mobile phones and valuables, and stabbing two students in the process.

The attack, which took place in the early hours of Monday, occurred within the Gwalameji campus of the institution, located about four kilometres from the city centre.

Eyewitnesses told Zagazola Makama that the robbers, numbering between 15 and 20, broke into several hostel rooms and threatened students with weapons, including knives.

“They moved from room to room, collecting phones, laptops and money. Two students who resisted were stabbed before the attackers fled,” said a student who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Zagazola gathered that the incident sparked outrage among students, who later blocked the Bauchi–Dass highway near the school gate to protest what they described as recurring security lapses on campus.

The protest was dispersed by security operatives using teargas, while the institution’s management promptly suspended academic activities and ordered students to vacate the campus within two hours.

Troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade, police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel were deployed to restore order.

Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, who visited the campus, addressed the students and assured them that efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators and strengthen campus security.

A security source told Zagazola that the targeted attack on male hostels point to the gaps in intelligence and emergency response, particularly given the proximity of the school to the state capital.

“The robbers operated for some time without interruption, which suggests that security patrols and outposts in the area need to be more proactive, especially since Gwalameji has a history of criminal incidents,” the source said.

The students, citing lack of security personnel, poor medical facilities and other welfare issues, staged a protest after being addressed by school officials.

Following a tip-off later in the day, police arrested three suspects, Mansur Yakubu, also known as Chasu; Abbas Auwal, 20; and Musa Bala, 20, alias Babannani all of Lushi area, Bauchi.

The suspects confessed to the crime and named their accomplices, identified as Kalifa Danboda of Birshin Gandu, and others known as Dady, Soja, Baki, and Sunusi, alias “Ba Su Aikin Allah,” who are currently at large.

Authorities says efforts are intensified to apprehend the remaining suspects.

Bauchi Polytechnic students protest after 20 armed robbers raid campus hostel