ACADEMIC activities at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, have been suspended indefinitely following a violent protest by students over a midnight robbery at the male hostel that left several injured and valuable items stolen.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when armed robbers reportedly stormed the hostel, carting away gadgets and other belongings.
At least nine students were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries, with some rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) for treatment.
The protest began peacefully in the morning, with students mounting roadblocks along the Bauchi–Dass road to express their frustration over what they described as the institution’s failure to protect them.
However, tensions flared when suspected hoodlums infiltrated the demonstration, blocking the federal highway and attempting to escalate the situation.
Police officers deployed to the scene fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, prompting some students to hurl stones in retaliation before security forces restored order.
SUG President Haruna Umar condemned the attack, describing it as unprecedented in the school’s history.
“This is students showing their grievances to management and authorities,” Umar said, stressing that the security lapse must be addressed urgently.
Among the injured was Matta Musa, the class representative of ND1 Computer Science, who suffered a head injury.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Rabiu Wadda, confirmed the indefinite closure, citing the hijacking of the protest by outsiders as the reason for the drastic measure.
“I have been in the school since 4:00 am, trying to curtail this situation.
As we speak, I have not been able to gain entrance into the campus. Some students have been taken to the hospital,” Wadda told reporters.
In a separate statement, Registrar Kasimu Salihu confirmed that “unscrupulous elements” were behind the robbery and the violent turn of the protest.
He said the management had ordered all students to vacate the campus within two hours “until further notice.”
Bauchi Police Command spokesperson, SP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, said officers were on the ground to restore normalcy, promising a detailed statement after full investigations.