NYSC camp crisis: Kwara Poly SUG seeks FG, IGP Intervention

The Student Union Government (SUG) of Kwara State Polytechnic has appealed to the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene urgently in a campus crisis over the use of the institution as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp.

The union cited security risks, disruption of academic activities, and alleged police brutality during a recent student protest.

Daily Trust reports that this is coming a day after the state government suspended the Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, and ordered a full-scale investigation into the protest.

The government also shut the institution temporarily to ensure the safety of students and staff.

But addressing journalists in Ilorin on Thursday, SUG President, Maruf Ibrahim, condemned what he described as “the use of force against unarmed students during a peaceful protest,” calling the incident “painful and inhumane.”

He said: “This is no longer an administrative issue. Students have endured undue hardship because the campus was used to host corps members despite prevailing insecurity.”

While acknowledging the role of the NYSC scheme in promoting national unity, Ibrahim said the continued use of the polytechnic as an orientation camp had placed an unbearable burden on students.

“It has affected our safety, our access to accommodation, and disrupted our academic activities,” he added.

The SUG said it had repeatedly tried to resolve the issue through dialogue with the polytechnic management, the Ministry of Youth Development, and NYSC officials but to no avail.

“We first wrote to the management on December 8, 2025, urging that student welfare not be compromised, but there was no response. During a meeting on January 18, the union raised concerns over the forceful eviction of students from hostels, suspension of academic activities, and the risk of students being stranded without support”.

“Despite our warnings, the management went ahead with a sudden three-week break, directing students to vacate the campus without making provisions for security or welfare,” Ibrahim said.

He said further appeals demanding that students be allowed to remain in hostels, their belongings protected and use of the polytechnic as an NYSC camp end after the current batch, were rejected.

“None of our demands were addressed,” Ibrahim added.

The SUG said the failure to respond led to a peaceful protest, which later escalated following the intervention of security operatives.

“Security personnel entered the campus with armoured vehicles and fired tear gas at students and staff. Hostels were forcefully evacuated, and even our secretariat was not spared,” Ibrahim said.

He condemned what he described as police brutality and questioned whose directive the security operatives acted upon.

“Our demonstration was peaceful. There was no justification for such force,” he said.

The SUG urged the polytechnic management to prioritise student welfare over administrative convenience.

It also called on the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) to intervene urgently to prevent further escalation of the crisis.

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