FUNAAB Students Clash with Police In Ogun State Over ‘Illegal Arrest’ Of Colleagues

Students at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) clashed with the Nigeria Police Force on Thursday morning after officers reportedly stormed their campus to arrest fellow students. The incident led to protests, with students claiming that police fired shots and ran over some of them with vehicles during what they described as an “illegal operation.”

Videos shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) showed the chaotic scenes as dozens of students gathered in protest. In one video, students pointed at an officer and shouted, “This is the man that shot at us,” accusing him of firing at the crowd.

A Twitter user, Anthony Not Joshua, shared details of the incident, writing: “Around 6:30 AM today, the @PoliceNG came to arrest innocent students of FUNAAB. The students got angry and mobilized themselves to stop the illegal arrest. They picked up 3 students who are still in their custody. This is not their first time, they’ve been doing it for long. How long will this continue??”

The tension between the police and students seemed to stem from what some alumni described as a long-standing issue. One former student commented:
“I’m an alumnus of FUNAAB. It’s always been happening. Even when a student was shot in the eye, nothing happened. The student mustn’t back down, enough is enough,” said SIGMA-TEASE.

Another former student, Emmi Tee, added: “Even while we were in school, it was a recurring issue around Gate, Oluwo, Isolu e.t.c camp junction.”

Others, like GIRAN REPUBLIC, took to social media to express frustration with what they perceive as routine mistreatment: “Na so dem dey do for Abeokuta, e fit be MAGBON SWAT cos na front of NOUN NNPC be this. Dem be werey.”

The altercation has raised questions about the ongoing relationship between the police and students in the region, with many calling for accountability and an end to the alleged harassment.