20th July, 2018
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, Professor Felix Salako has appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State to desist from criminalising students and youths until they are proven guilty.
The Vice Chancellor explained that it was dangerous for the younger generation to grow up with hatred in their mind against the Police.
Salako made this statement at the commissioning of a new police station in Alabata area, Abeokuta,
The VC further stressed that the Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS were fond of searching young person’s 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 been 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 been charged on each of them in 2013 led to this divisional Command in Alabama.
“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 commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu said the police did not always arrest innocent citizens.
He also promise not to allow any criminal to go unpunished, vowing that there is no place for criminal in Ogun and that the people would sleep with their two eyes closed.