After LEADERSHIP Report, Kwara Varsity Moves Against Students Unrest

Following LEADERSHIP’s report of last Sunday titled: “Saving KWASU From Cultism, Cybercrime Menace”, the management of Kwara State University, Malete has taken precautionary measures to forestall the recurrence of students’ riot which led to the destruction of facilities at the divisional police headquarters, Malete.

Last Thursday, the students protested the sting operation in Malete by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) when some 48 students were arrested for alleged cybercrime.
But, the dean of students’ affairs of the university, Prof AbdulRauf Ambali, yesterday said that most of the students that participated in the riot were dismissed students, parading themselves as students of the institution.
He said precautionary measures had been put in place to forestall reoccurrence of such incidents.
Ambali said meetings were held with the EFCC and NDLEA on the need to always carry the institution along in such operations.

The acting director of university relations, Dr Saeedat Aliyu, said they woke up to the news of EFCC operatives sting operations in Malete community where a sizable number of people, including students were arrested for their involvement in cybercrime.
Aliyu, noted that the riot which took place outside the school was because some students and members of the community sighted a vehicle that escorted some people from Ila Orangun which they assumed was another sting operation by some security personnel.
She said contrary to the rumours that there were casualties, nobody was shot or killed during the mayhem.

‘’The acting vice chancellor and his management team swung to action and de-escalated the crisis, because the university has zero tolerance for social vices and would work with relevant agencies to stamp out criminality and other vices,” she added.
Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP observed that normalcy has returned to the institution and Malete community.
Our reporter who visited Malete yesterday observed that people and students were carrying out their daily activities without any hindrance.

A visit to the institution showed that students were writing their harmattan examination for the 2023/2024 academic session.
A 300 level student of the civil engineering department, Hikmah Ayinla, said she was not aware of any unrest in the university as they were writing their harmattan examinations.
Another 300 level student of library and information sciences, Ifeoluwa Micho said though she didn’t have the details of the unrest, it has not affected the ongoing examination.