Following the clash that ensued between the students of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State and the police, the state police command said it would arraign the suspects arrested in connection with the crisis in court very soon. Violence broke out between the students of the institution and men of the state police command after a policeman's vehicle reportedly hit some students on Sunday. Many students were injured while vehicles were said to be destroyed during the clash.
The state Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said two of the suspects were students of the school, identified as Oladimeji Olasunkanmi and Ojo Ogungbe. He said Olasunkanmi was an ND II part-time student in the department of accountancy, while Ogungbe was an ND I in the department of mass communication in the institution.
The police spokesman also said Oladimeji was caught with a locally-made pistol.
Joseph identified the third suspect as Friday Patience, an automobile mechanic, saying he joined the students in the violent protest. He said, "The three suspects were already in our custody and they will be arraigned in court very soon." The Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Timileyin Ayenuro, however, said there were no students arrested, saying those arrested had been released. He also knocked the police for arresting innocent people over the incident.
"The police arrested four people; the four people are not students of the institution and they are innocent. But all I know is that the police have released all the students arrested," he said.
All efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of RUGIPO, Mr. Samuel Ojo, was unsuccessful as his telephone line was did not go through when our correspondent called him.
