FUTA students protest ‘extortion, harassment by thugs’

Some students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) living off-campus on Monday staged a protest over alleged incessant extortion and harassment by suspected thugs and cultists.

The protesting students gathered at the road leading to the varsity’s second gate, crippling vehicular and other activities in the area for hours.

Speaking with TheCable Lifestyle, James Onyenche, a third year student of the institution, who lives around the school’s second gate, said the incessant attitude by the miscreants became rampant last year.

She said the thugs would ambush and extort male students on their way to classes, while female students were constantly harassed as well.

“We have two gates, south gate and north gate. I stay at south gate and I know how it can be. All these thugs will loiter around to the area to collect money from students. They would collect from guys and sometimes they harrsass girls. It has happened to me before,” she said.

“The students started protesting yesterday after the SUG president was beaten by the thugs. The protest continued today when the president called for mobilisation in front of the gate.”

Another protester simply identified as Bola said some of the suspected thugs and cultists usually force students to make bank transfers if they have no cash on them.

Reacting to the issue, Adebanjo Adegbenro, the varsity’s spokesman, said what the students embarked on was a sensitisation march and not a protest.

“Sometimes, they also robbed them. It is a sensitisation march. We have done all we could to ensure the security of the students,” he said.

“We are also in constant engagement with the community to ensure those things do not fester. Our duty is to make report. It is the police that will make arrest and prosecute.”