Students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (Akwa Poly) in Ikot Osurua, Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, recently took to the streets to voice their frustration over persistent police extortion and escalating insecurity in their community.
Fed up with what they described as a routine of road blockades designed to exploit them, the students organized a peaceful demonstration to demand an end to the harassment and neglect they face.
The protest was sparked by a viral video in which a female student recounted a disturbing encounter with the police. She alleged that she and her friends were stopped on their way to their hostel, where officers seized their phones, searched them unlawfully, and detained her until midnight. She was forced to pay N10,000 despite committing no offense. “We are no longer safe,” she lamented in the video, highlighting a breach of police protocol, as authorities had previously banned officers from searching phones—a practice deemed beyond their mandate.
Led by the Student Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Geoffrey George, the students gathered at the school gate by 8 a.m., wielding placards with bold messages like “End Police Brutality Now,” “Protect, Save, Don’t Abuse,” and “This Extortion Must Stop.” The demonstration underscored their growing discontent with both police misconduct and the unchecked criminal activities plaguing their surroundings.
In an impassioned speech, Comrade George detailed the students’ grievances, pointing to a pattern of abuse by police and attacks by hoodlums. “Just last week, a video circulated online showing a student from our school being brutalized and dragged on the ground by policemen,” he said. “Students in Ikot Ekpene are constantly extorted by the police. We’re not safe—especially those living in nearby communities.”
He went further, painting a grim picture of the insecurity gripping the area. “Hoodlums snatch phones from students and even kill them. In the past year alone, we’ve buried more than five students killed by thieves who broke into their homes, stole their phones, and murdered them while the police did nothing,” George added.
A student activist, speaking anonymously, vowed that the protests would persist until the government addresses their plight. “Nobody will silence us. The world needs to know that the police here aren’t protecting us. Our peers are dying, and all they care about is extorting money from struggling students,” the activist declared.
In response, the Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, stated that the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, has called for a meeting with the students to address their concerns. “The Commissioner has invited them for a discussion this morning, and we’re expecting them to attend. There’s no need for protests,” John said, adding that the students seen at the gate were preparing to meet with the Commissioner.
As tensions simmer, the students’ outcry shines a spotlight on the urgent need for accountability and protection, leaving many hopeful that the dialogue with police authorities will yield tangible solutions to their long-standing grievances.
