Council probes Lagos FCE violence, school shut

Following the violence that erupted on Monday, the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka, Lagos, has ordered an indefinite closure of the institution.

The embattled provost, Dr. Wahab Azeez, revealed the council’s decision to PUNCH Metro during a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Recall that the ongoing leadership crisis escalated on Monday when videos emerged showing protesting students vandalising the official vehicles of the governing council members, who reportedly narrowly avoided being physically attacked.

In previous interviews with PUNCH Metro, the students claimed that their protests were in response to poor campus welfare and the treatment they received from the provost.

A student, speaking anonymously out of fear of victimisation, sent a voice note to our correspondent claiming that police officers “came and started shooting students.” The student further alleged that the school management had invited the police to the campus.

“During the meeting, they started throwing tear gas. The provost ordered them to throw tear gas and they arrested some staff (members). They were beating the staff (members),” he alleged.

In his defence, the embattled provost claimed in a separate interview with our correspondent that the protesting students were being incited by staff members eyeing his position.

“Those students who are protesting are being instigated by those staff members eyeing my position. For the past five years since I was appointed as the Provost, I’ve never had an issue with students because I was a former Student Union leader and I know what the students want,” the provost told PUNCH Metro. This claim, however, was denied by both the students and some staff members of the college.

To quell Monday’s violence and restore law and order, the state police command arrested 32 suspects for allegedly attacking the Federal Government inspection team.

Confirming the arrest via a post on X.com, the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said, “A team set up by the Minister of Education arrived at the school today (Monday) to mediate the ongoing impasse. However, (the) staff (members) of the college aided by students attacked the team from Abuja, damaging over five vehicles and the Provost’s official quarters.

“Not done, the rioting staff and students also blocked all entrances in and out of the college. The police arrived at the scene and restored normalcy after being attacked with stones and sachets of water by the rioters.

“Meanwhile, 32 suspects have been arrested while men of the Nigeria Police Force from Area Command, Surulere remain on (the) ground to ensure that the restored peace remains intact.”

Revealing the indefinite closure of the college, the provost stated that the governing council had initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the students’ violent rampage, which resulted in property destruction.

He said, “The college has been shut because of the violent rampage of the students yesterday (Monday).

“The council is still on the ground. They will decide what line of action to take about the incident. The rampage has to be probed because they need to know the immediate and remote cause of the crisis that led to the vandalisation of college property and facilities.

“They (the governing council) came to have the inaugural meeting of the council. Since the council was inaugurated, the college also elected its six members.”

According to him, some college staffers were partly responsible for the poor state of the school after they were said to have refused “the college to operate. They didn’t allow any administrative work to take place. They send the cleaners away from the hostel.”

The college is expected to remain closed until the investigation is concluded.