Over 50 students of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) have been arrested by the Police in Enugu.
The President of the ESUT Students Union Government (SUG), Mr. Donatus Okolieuwa who disclosed this on Saturday, said the students were picked by the anti-cult squad on Friday evening in the university campus.
Okolieuwa however, appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah to wade into the matter to enable the affected students regain their freedom.
“We therefore call on our kindhearted Governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to intervene in this matter, and use his good office to facilitate the release of our students.
“Our students should not be subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading punishment for no just cause.”
Asked how the incident took place, the SUG President narrated: “While I was in a students meeting at Dragon Relaxation Center, 82 Division, Enugu, a student called and told me that around 5pm/6pm armed men invaded the school cafeteria with 2 Hillux vans and 1 sienna bus, and released a gun shot in the air.
“Due to the manner in which they arrived, and owing to the stories of unknown gunmen in the society and the shooting in the air, the students who were in front of the cafeteria chilling with drinks at that evening hour started running away for their safety.
“On the process, the armed men started running after the students, surrendered them all, then entered the cafeteria and arrested everybody inside the cafeteria, including those who are playing snookers, games, female students who came to the cafeteria to charge their phones and other electronic gadgets, the staff and manager of the cafeteria and members of our school security.
“On hearing this, I called our school CSO to ascertain if he is aware of such incident in the school, he said no, that he is not aware, and that he will get to the scene with his men immediately.
“On getting there with his men, he noticed that the armed men are members of the Anti-Cult Squad, Enugu. It was there the school CSO, who they tried to intimidate was able to identified and pointed out two of the arrested persons who are members of the school security operatives, and the two people were released.
“They humiliated our students including the female ones who they later released after seizing their phones and power banks. Then they move away with every other male student there.
“I contacted the Vice-Chancellor and the DSS officers in charge of students, both the one in Agbani and that of Enugu. They were not aware of such arrest, but they have swung into action for the release of the students, they assured me.
The SUG President further added, “Our Students are beginning to have the fear of not being safe even inside the school.
“Such invasion of the University by the members of Anti-Cult shows that the security of our students in the school is no longer guaranteed in the height of the insecurities ravaging the society currently. The students are ragging over the development.
“Inasmuch as we are totally against and are fighting criminality among students, we are not cool with the unwarranted harassment, intimidation and breach of the fundamental rights of our students. The needful should be done and on time.
“It is a known fact that ESUT is a noble institution where social values and norms are upheld in its highest echelon, and social vices being jettisoned in its entirety as championed by our digital and pragmatic Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius Michaels Okolie.”
