Students Flee Hostels In Imo Communities

A relentless police crackdown on students residing in hostels at Umuoma, Umuerim and Umuokomochi communities, near Owerri, is forcing students to flee their hostels.
The three communities are in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo, which is home to several tertiary institutions.
The police are said to have turned the hostels into goldmines, allegedly extorting money from ‘captured’ students and owners of students’ hostels after each raid.
The development is said to have been affecting businesses adversely in the communities with many students seeking abode elsewhere to avoid being arrested by the rampaging police operatives, “who always come in mufti attires’’.
The Tide  learnt that students of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede are planning to embark on a peaceful demonstration to get government to rein in on the police authorities in Nekede communities.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen at Nekede yesterday, a cross-section of the students said that policemen had made life unbearable for students residing in hostels in the town.
A final year student in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Mr Nkem Ubani, lamented “incessant harassment of students in the communities.’’
He said that the situation had become increasingly unbearable.
“We are worried over incessant police arrests at our various hostels without reason. Each time the policemen arrest students, they take money from them and set them free.
“The police authorities should look into the activities of their men in Nekede to prevent an imminent breakdown of law and order because it has reached crisis point.
“They are extorting students, hurting them and ruining businesses of innocent people making their living in the communities.
“I don’t want to mention the name of my hostel. I live in Umuoma and I have been a victim of police arrest severally. Each time they arrested me, they demanded money for me to secure my release.
“Nekede is not the only community having students’ hostels in Nigeria.
“Why has the police descended on this community over the years? Are they saying that every student in Nekede is a criminal?
“How many of such criminals have they tried over the years and for what offences? Let them make their findings public.’’