Nasarawa State University | File Image
Students: were tracked, hounded on campus, arrested, handcuffed, and chained at their feet before being dragged to the police station, where their phones were seized
By Valentine Amanze
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), a civil rights group, has called for an unconditional recall and reinstatement of the more than 25 students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), rusticated by the authorities over alleged planned protest.
CAPPA, which also condemned the intimidation of the students by the institution, demanded an end to crackdown on student activism in Nigeria.
NSUK suspended the students for one academic session on bogus charges of “criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, and cyberbullying.”
The university authority also accused the students of being members of a WhatsApp group created last year to discuss and mobilise for a peaceful protest against the university’s arbitrary introduction of a third semester and imposition of an additional fee of ₦20,000 per course for registering and resitting “carry-over” exams.
In a statement issued by its Media & Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA supported the students whose fundamental and constitutional rights were denied by the university.
“CAPPA stands in full solidarity with all victimised students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi and commends them for taking the initiative to organise against exploitative policies.
“We call on all stakeholders and unions in the education sector, along with civil society organisations, to speak out against this injustice.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all suspended students. Furthermore, we urge collective action to halt the growing commercialisation of public education and criminalisation of student organisations. This creeping dictatorship in Nigerian universities must be stopped,” CAPPA said.
Besides, CAPPA condemned the inhumane actions and the blatant violation of students’ fundamental rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
Also read: CDS, COAS to face Reps over illegal detention of Nasarawa community leader
Recall that before the students were unjustily penalized, the leadership of Prof. Sa’adatu Liman had resorted to surveillance and coercion as a response.
It allegedly utilised security operatives to infiltrate the WhatsApp group, monitor conversations, and identify targeted students for administrative and brute discipline instead of engaging with the legitimate concerns of students.
For participating in conversations in the group, some of the affected students said that they were tracked, hounded on campus, arrested, handcuffed, and chained at their feet before being dragged to the police station, where their phones were seized.
They said that they endured harrowing nights in detention before securing bail—only to be slapped with rustication letters in December 2024.
Sadly, the repression at NSUK is part of a deeper rot.
The university’s nullification of its last student union election further exposes its growing authoritarian culture.
……………
For more interesting stories click: nigerianewsflight.com.ngvaloa2000@yahoo.com
