The Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed to newsmen that 48 students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, were arrested during the students protest on Tuesday for which the institution was shut down.
Spokesperson of the Command, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil who claimed that the police followed a security breach during the protest, stated that officers acted on intelligence that unidentified hoodlums scaled the school’s fence and forcefully took students’ phones.
Wakil said that 36 male students and 12 females were arrested for their alleged involvement in the protest, while 16 suspected robbers were also apprehended for the attacks on the students.
Giving details of the arrests, the Command’s Spokesperson said 22 years old Musa Bala, a resident of Lushi, was arrested for allegedly leading an armed robbery attack on students of the institution, with several of them sustaining injuries.
“Prior to his arrest, Bala, an ex-convict served two years at a correctional facility after he was found guilty of a similar offence and only completed his jail terms about 3 months earlier. Arrested along with Bala include 20 years old Mansur Yakubu and Abbas Auwal, also of same age, all of Lushi, a suburb of Bauchi Metropolis,” he said.
Wakil explained that during interrogation the 3 prime suspects confessed to collaborating with, at least, 13 other accomplices, including one “Daddy” of Birshin Fulani, who was believed to be the mastermind of the robbery.
Meanwhile, a group known as ‘ The Youth Arize Movement ‘ has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the 48 arrested students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, over the protest.
In a statement, the group’s convener, Babatunde Ademola, condemned the arrests, insisting that the protest was peaceful, lawful, and organized, accusing the police of responding to legitimate demands for safety with excessive force.
“En Tuesday, August,2025, students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, took to the streets in a peaceful demonstration to demand protection, accountability, and urgent action from authorities following repeated violent robberies that endangered their lives and disrupted academic activities. Instead of responding with concern, the police arrested 48 students in an attempt to silence their cry for safety, ” Ademola stated.
He demanded the dropping of all charges, a public apology from law enforcement agencies, and an Investigation into the robbery incident and alleged security lapses.
Ademola urged CSOs, human rights groups, academic institutions, and the public to join the campaign for the students’ release.
“It is not a crime to demand for safety, it is not a crime to call for justice. Students are not criminals.
They are citizens demanding for accountability, dignity, and a better future, ” he concluded.