By Amos Okioma
The Bayelsa Police Command has arrested the Bayelsa State chapter chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and seven other university students in connection with the alleged killing of a student, cultism and armed robbery.
The NANS leader in Bayelsa, Perewari Benjamin, a 400-level student of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, was on Monday paraded at the state command’s headquarters in Yenagoa with seven other undergraduates.
The police authorities gave the names of the other seven suspects as Asari Enagob, 400-level student; Suoguai Bina, 500 level student, Ibe Ogbonna, 300 level, Igbanibo Tari, 400 level, Ekperi Kenneth, 400 level Kemefie Ebimene, 200 level.
All the suspects are undergraduates at the Bayelsa Government owned Niger Delta University.
The eighth suspect paraded was Chukwuma Lawrence, HND2 student of Imo State Polytechnic.
Parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Asuquo Amba, lamented the involvement of the students in murder, armed robbery and cult activities.
The commissioner said on November 26, Messrs Ayo Kehinde, Jamiu Salahudeen and Nwanya Chinonso, all drivers, reported to the police that the suspects hijacked their vehicles and robbed them at gun point.
He said the suspects robbed Kehinde of one Techno phone valued at N10,000 and the sum of N50,000 cash while they also robbed Chinonso of the sum of N1,600 cash.
Amba said the police recovered arms and ammunition from the students which included two locally-made single barrel pistol; two live ammunition; five .9mm live ammunition and some charms.
Amba traced the death of an unnamed student of Federal University, Otuoke to students union elections at the Federal University, Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
“It is disheartening to note that the events that occurred at the Zone B election for coordinators of NANS took place at the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, between November 25 and November 26.
“It was a situation whereby students representing universities and higher institutions in the South-South Zone degenerated to the use of firearms that led to the death of a student.
“The students also involved themselves in robbery against innocent citizens.
“This leaves one to wonder about the future of our great nation. The development calls for a drastic action to curb this menace and a complete reorientation of our youths,” the Police Chief said.
Amba recalled that when NANS zonal meeting was zoned to Bayelsa, the police authorities took all necessary measures in consultation with university authorities, saying they were able to fashion what he described as a watertight security measures.
He said the police equally collaborated with officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of the State Services and the military.
“We equally got an assurance from both the student union leaders and the Vice-Chancellor that everything was going normal and that there was no security threat. In line with this, everything was going very smoothly.
“We ensured that vehicles coming in and going out of Bayelsa, especially busses conveying students were adequately searched, because we anticipated that some students might foment and cause trouble.
“It was unfortunate that in the course of this, after the election had been concluded successfully, winners and losers known, some miscreants, in the name of students, took laws into their hands.
“Some of them were involved in heinous acts such as armed robbery, cult activities, unlawful possession of weapons. Following that, we made these arrests,” Amba said.