Kwara State Polytechnic
Tension erupted at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, on Wednesday after the presence of operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) triggered panic among students and led to a brief protest.
The anti-graft officials were reportedly sighted patrolling areas around the institution while examinations were ongoing, a development that heightened anxiety across the campus.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that confusion began when students suddenly started running in different directions, with unverified claims that an operative was chasing a student further fueling fear.
“We suddenly saw people running in different directions. At first, no one understood what was happening, but the presence of armed operatives created panic,” a student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.
Another student criticized the timing of the operation, noting that it disrupted the examination environment. “It is wrong for such operations to happen when students are writing exams.
It left many of us shaken,” the student added.
In reaction, some aggrieved students staged a protest, setting tyres ablaze along parts of Old Jebba Road leading to the institution.
Signs of the unrest were still visible later, with charred tyres littering the entrance.
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Security presence was subsequently reinforced, as a police patrol team from the Oke-Oyi Division was deployed to the main gate to restore calm and prevent further escalation.
Reacting to the incident, the Polytechnic management assured parents, guardians, and the general public that the situation had been brought under control, describing the protest as brief and limited.
The institution clarified that the EFCC operation did not take place within the campus but in the nearby Agbede community, which caused concern among students.
“It is important to note that no student was arrested during the operation,” the management stated.
The school also confirmed that only a small number of students were involved in the protest and commended the swift response of security agencies and internal personnel in containing the situation.
Academic activities, including scheduled examinations, were said to have continued without disruption.
Reaffirming its commitment to safety, the management urged stakeholders to remain calm and go about their normal activities, assuring that the environment is secure.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to get an official response from the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to its spokesperson were not returned.
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