Police Officer Injured, Mosque and Vehicles Damaged in KWASU Protest

The Kwara State Police Command reported on Friday that a police officer, identified as Fayemi Kehinde, sustained injuries, and several vehicles were damaged, including a mosque, during a protest by enraged students of Kwara State University.The protest ensued following a sting operation carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Malete, the university’s host community, on Wednesday night.Among the 50 individuals paraded at the Ilorin zonal office of the EFCC on Thursday for alleged cybercrime, 48 were students of KWASU.According to reports, the police station at Malete, in the Moro Local Government Area, was attacked by some students during the crisis.However, Commissioner of Police Victor Olaiya clarified that the damages to the mosque and vehicles occurred during a gathering of students at Malete town.In a statement released on Friday, Olaiya stated, “Reports indicate that the gatherings, which began at about 1600hrs, centered around grievances related to the recent raids on black-spots around the school’s premises by operatives of the NDLEA. Students living off-campus expressed their dissent and marched from various parts of the town to Okoru Junction close to Malete Police Division, carrying placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Say No to NDLEA’.”Efforts were made to persuade the students to return to their respective hostels and maintain peace. During the process, they encountered a white Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration number Lagos AGL 574 HZ, occupied by four armed policemen from Ila-Orangun, led by Inspector Ibrahim Ali and three others on an official assignment to Malete. They were mistaken for NDLEA operatives, prompting the students to chase them to Malete Divisional Police Headquarters, where they began throwing stones into the police station.Regrettably, this led to damages to the mosque’s rooftop and the windscreen of vehicles parked in the station. The police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the violent crowd and prevent further damage.Additionally, Police Officer PC Fayemi Kehinde sustained minor injuries from the stones thrown at the police station. He received first aid treatment at the hospital and was discharged.