Police arrest three suspects as Bauchi Poly shuts down over armed robbery, student protest

The Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has suspended academic activities and closed its campus after an armed robbery attack on a male hostel sparked student protests.

The robbery, which occurred at around 4:54am on Monday, saw a gang of about 20 robbers invade the Gwalameji campus, located four kilometers from the city centre.

A student who spoke on condition of anonymity said the robbers went from room to room, dispossessing students of phones, laptops, and money.

“Two students who resisted were stabbed before the attackers fled,” the student said.

The attack triggered outrage among students, who blocked the Bauchi-Dass highway to protest what they called a recurring issue of security lapses on campus.

The students also decried the paucity of private security guards owned by the institution, inadequate facilities in the polytechnic clinic, and other welfare issues.

Security operatives, including troops from the 33 Artillery Brigade, police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), used teargas to disperse the protesters.

Following the unrest, the school’s management ordered students to vacate the campus within two hours.

Kasimu Salihu, the registrar, said hoodlums took over what was supposed to be a peaceful protest.

A security source said the attack highlights a “gap in intelligence and emergency response,” noting that the robbers operated for some time without interruption.

The source added that the Gwalameji area has a history of criminal incidents, and security patrols should have been more proactive.

Sani-Omolori Aliyu, the Bauchi state commissioner of police, visited the campus and assured students that efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators and improve security.

The police, acting on a tip-off, arrested three suspects: Mansur Yakubu, also known as Chasu; Abbas Auwal, 20; and Musa Bala, 20, alias Babannani.

Ahmed Mohammed Wakil (CSP), spokesperson of the Bauchi police, said the suspects, all from the Lushi area of Bauchi, confessed to the crime and named several accomplices who are still at large.

Wakil said the enduring protests constituted public disturbance that prompted the arrest of 36 males and 12 females who were involved in violent acts.

“The students turned nuisance and blocked the Bauchi/Tafawa Balewa-Dass highway road, involving burning tyres and hauling stones on innocent commuters and looting shops around, he said.

“The command immediately drafted a reinforcement team and dispatched to the scene, and attempted to disperse the illegal crowd, which encountered resistance, resulting in the application of minimal force and successfully controlled the situation.”

Wakil said efforts are being intensified to arrest the remaining robbery suspects.