Kwara poly unrest: Two feared killed, cop injured as police raid cultists’ hideouts
…Kwara govt calls for calm
No fewer than two persons were feared killed in a raid by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) of the Nigeria Police at Lajola community, a student area located near the institution.
The incident happened when the security operatives came on the trail of some cultists at Lajolo community, a settlement located near the institution, The Informant247 gathered.
A report by Tribune Online, meanwhile, narrated that the raid started Friday night till Saturday morning by the law enforcement agents, while some residents of the community reportedly prevented arrest by the security operatives.
The report further stated that security operatives had left the scene on Friday night and returned to the area Saturday morning to carry out their assigned duty to the displeasure of the people.
The pandemonium ensued as a result of the attack unleashed on the team of Police detectives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) FIB, Abuja, who came on the trail of some cultists in the area, the report added.
The Police were reported to have shot in the air amidst a tense situation that later ensued, while a stray bullet reportedly hit some people inside their houses in the area.
It was also gathered that the situation led to a chaotic situation at the entrance gate of the Kwarapoly, as students reportedly blocked the road in protest of the reported killing of the victim of the incident by the police.
Speaking on the incident, the Police in a statement by its spokesperson, Ajayi Okasanmi, said the pandemonium is as a result of the attack unleashed on a team of Police detectives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) FIB, Abuja, who came on the trail of some cultists in the area.
He said, “Recall that, cultists attacked and killed a student of Kwara State University, Malete yesterday 28/1/2022, Four of the cultists were arrested and dangerous weapons were recoverd from the suspects. Information available to the STS team indicated that some of the cultists were hiding at Lajolo area of Kwara Polytechnic Ilorin, where similar attack was unleashed on one student named Idris Aderemi by same cultists at about 0600hrs today 29/1/22, in the same area. This prompted the visit to the area by the STS team.
“Surprisingly, the cultists who were already in ambush, attacked the police team damaging the police Hummer bus and inflicting a gunshot injury on the head of one police Sergeant, Adebayo Abdulahi attached to the STS team. In the ensuing inbroglio, students in their numbers came out to block the road and prevented free flow of traffic and burning tyres on the road.
“The Commissioner of Police Kwara State, CP Tuesday Assayomo psc (+) immediately dispatched teams of Policemen to the area to restore peace.
“However, two cultists, one Ahmed ‘m’ surname unknown and one Musibau ‘m’ A.K.A Shaban was arrested with one fabricated English pistol with 3 live ammunition, 2 live cartridges and one pistol magazine.”
Okasanmi, who added that the injured policeman and the suspects have been taken to the hospital for treatment, was however silent on reports of the killings.
“The commissioner of police wishes to advise members of the Public to go about their lawful businesses without any fear of attack or intimidation; calm has been totally restored in the affected area, while Policemen are on standby to forestall any further act of lawlessness from any quarters,” he said.
Also, it was gathered that the situation prevented some students of the tertiary institution from writing their ongoing first semester CBT examinations on Saturday, while the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Abdulkadir Yunus, said that the school management had agreed to reschedule the affected exams to a later date.
The school spokesperson argued that the incident at Lajolo community Saturday morning was between the Police and Lajolo community and had nothing to do with the Polytechnic students or the campus.
Meanwhile the Kwara State government through the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman Esq has enjoined the students and general public to go about their normal activities, as the incident that broke out between some law enforcement agencies and students of Kwara State Polytechnic has been brought under control.
Senior Sulyman stressed that some students who sustained injuries have been taken to the hospital and are now responding to treatment.
Sulyman assured the students and the general public of the state government’s commitment to ensuring a thorough investigation of the immediate and remote causes of the incident, with a view to proffering a lasting solution to it.
He warned that the state government will not take it lightly with anyone that is found disturbing the peace of the state, no matter how highly placed.
