Violence: Ibadan Poly Shuts Campus, Suspends Students’ Union

The Polytechnic Ibadan on Thursday said it has suspended all Students’ Union Government activities within the campus.

It also asked students to proceed on a forced break.

The decision came a few hours after violence erupted shortly after a football match between the students in the Faculty of Engineering and their colleagues in the Faculty of Business and Communications Studies.

The institution asked the students to proceed to a compulsory mid-semester break.

The Registrar of the institution, Modupe Fawale, made this announcement in a statement made available to journalists.

The action, according to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Soladoye Adewole, became necessary in order to forestall breakdown of peace in the institution.

Mr Adewole in a telephone interview said the suspension is until further notice.

On Thursday, hundreds of students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, barricaded the main entrance and other gates leading to the institution in protest against the stabbing of one of their colleagues and injuring of another one.

A HND student in the institution said the Sports Director of the National Association of Polytechnic Engineering Students, (NAPES) Tobi Oyeniyi was stabbed in the head and another student was ‘brutally beaten’ after the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) Queens lost to their colleagues in the faculty of Business and Communications Studies FBCS Queens on Wednesday.

The football competition according to him was held at the Sports Pavilion, North Campus of the Polytechnic.

Mr Adewole also said all union activities from the department to the school level have been suspended.

He said, “The management has suspended the students Union activities on campus. The management has taken the decision by suspending the students Union activities on campus.

“The students had a football match yesterday and resulted into a fracas. It is an in-fight between them. And the school authority has taken the necessary action.

“All students Union activities have been suspended.”

The statement entitled, “Poly management closes school for mid-semester break” urged the students to proceed on the break immediately.

Also, Mrs Fawale said, “The authority of the Polytechnic Ibadan have closed the institution and the students are to proceed on mid-semester break immediately.

“The students are to resume for studies on Wednesday 10th April 2019. All students are to vacate the hall of residence immediately.

“The police have been invited to ensure a smooth vacation of the students from the institution and prevent a breach of peace.

“Parents and guardians are advised to request their children/wards to return home immediately as the management of the institution will not be responsible for the care of any student during the mid-semester break.”