Overnight Robbery Triggers Chaos at Bauchi Polytechnic

In the early hours of Tuesday, students at the Bauchi Federal Polytechnic took to the streets to protest worsening insecurity on campus after a violent overnight robbery at the male hostel.

The attack, which occurred around 2 am on Tuesday, left several students injured and more than 50 phones stolen. Some victims, reportedly stabbed during the incident, are receiving treatment at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital. 

The protest, organised by aggrieved students to express their frustration against the polytechnic management and the inadequate security provided in the school. However, security personnel were swiftly requested when the protest turned tense at the federal highway near the campus. The police claimed suspicions of hijacking by hoodlums, causing them to fire tear gas at the protesting students to disperse the crowd, leading the students to retaliate by throwing stones.

Following the unrest, the school management has ordered that the institution be shut down immediately and instructed that all students vacate the campus. In a statement by the Registrar, Alhaji Kasimu Salihu, the school was shutting down “against the background of this ugly situation.”

The Bauchi State Police Command have since responded to the incident and apprehended 48 protesters and 16 suspected robbers. According to another statement released by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, the police revealed that the command had received information that the “hoodlums” had gained access to the institution “through the fenced wall.”

In a recent development, the command disclosed to the press that they have carried out a preliminary investigation, with the help of a tip-off, resulting in the identification of three suspects who are currently in police custody.  The command also stated that during interrogation, the suspects divulged that they had conspired among themselves to commit the offence. The PPRO also disclosed that one of the prime suspects claimed that he had been recruited by “Daddy”, also referred to as the “mastermind/crime organiser”, to partake in the crime. 

The Commissioner of Police has since ordered the release of the female students who were arrested, and that the male students be profiled while also making their commitment to maintaining public order and taking stringent actions against those who fail to comply known. 

Students in Bauchi have long complained of the insecurity affecting the state. In 2023, students who were residents of the off-campus communities in Yelwa and Gubi decried the incessant attacks they had faced. It was reported that the students were faced with incidents of theft, assaults, and kidnappings, including the killing of a student during a struggle over a phone.

Bauchi’s latest incident reflects Nigeria’s broader security crisis, heightening calls for urgent government intervention to strengthen policing and protect vulnerable communities.