19th July, 2018
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Professor Felix Salako has appealed to the Ogun State Police Command to desist from accusing students and youths of crimes until they are proven guilty.
The Vice Chancellor explained that it is dangerous for the younger generations to grow up with hatred in their minds against the Police.
Salako stated this at the commissioning of a new police station in Alabata area of Camp, Abeokuta.
The VC further stressed that the Special Anti Robbery squad is fond of searching young persons’ bags most especially, their phones with a motive to criminalise them.
His words, “we must appreciate our traditional rulers in this environment who have been very supportive to our successes here.
“But, I hate it when students are being criminalised when they have not been proven guilty of a particular crime.
“Yes students move with laptops and that does not mean that they are “Yahoo Yahoo boys, although there are criminals but that does not mean everyone here are criminals.
“Innocent arrest of our students and amount being charged each of them in 2013 led to this divisional command in Alabata.”
“I also want to beg the traditional leaders in this environment to ensure that any criminal noticed to be staying in this environment should be sent packing because their time is up.”
The state commissioner of Police Ahmed Iliyasu replied the vice chancellor that the police never arrest any innocent citizen.
He promised not to allow any criminal go unpunished, stressing that there is no place for criminals in Ogun.
”No matter where they are and who they are they would surely be put to book,” he assured
The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) also promised to inaugurate students PCRC starting with FUNAAB.
The Students Union President of the institution, Comrade Popoola Ayobami decried the highhandedness of the police and appealed to men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad to always perfect their investigations before incriminating students.
“The highhandedness of the Nigerian Police cannot be overemphasised. It is shameful that some unscrupulous members of the NPF are still engaging in bribery and corruption even to the extent of extorting students.
“We urge the state commissioner of police to look into the cankerworms that have eaten deep into the police.