FedPoly Bauchi shut indefinitely after violent students’ protest

The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has ordered the immediate and indefinite closure of the institution following a violent students’ protest on Tuesday morning.

The unrest erupted at about 10 a.m. after an alleged midnight robbery at the male hostel, during which armed intruders reportedly stole valuables and injured two students.

According to witnesses, over 50 phones were taken, and several students sustained wounds from dangerous weapons.

In a statement signed by the Registrar, Alhaji Kasimu Salihu, the management said the protest, which began peacefully, was hijacked by hoodlums, prompting the shutdown of academic activities. Students were given two hours to vacate the campus until further notice.

Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the arrest of three suspected robbers linked to the hostel attack, along with 48 people — 36 men and 12 women — allegedly involved in the protest.

Police spokesman, CSP Ahmed Wakili, said the suspects confessed to conspiring to invade the hostel, carting away phones and laptops, and injuring students who resisted. He added that security operatives applied minimal force to disperse the crowd after incidents of shop looting and property damage during the protest.

Investigations into both the robbery and the violent demonstration are ongoing.