By Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
Shehu Teminu Mohammed a National Diploma II Public Administration student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja must have over prepared for his final examination when he was nabbed at the school gate by security agents in the morning of Friday, 9th April, 2021.
Vigilant security personnel during a routine check were shocked when instead of writing materials, they found him with a locally made gun and five rounds of ammunition.
He made an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the security personnel at the discovery of his strange preparations. But he was overwhelmed by the men in uniform.
The student with Matriculation Number 2018/ND/PAD/170 ran foul of a directive on ban of End-of-Examination Celebrations put in place by the authority.
It would be recalled that last week, the Rector Dr. S.O Usman announced the ban based on intelligence report that some suspected cultists would be coming to the campus with ammunition to avenge their colleague who was killed after the end of examination in 2019.
Since then, there have been routine checks on students and visitors to the institution.
Security operatives of the institution had on Thursday, 8th April, 2021, impounded a Tricycle, (Keke NAPEP) which apparently was intended as a decoy for hiding and releasing gun shots outside the school gate.
In the same vain, the operatives also arrested a non student suspected to be a hired ‘mercenary’ with a charm described as “African – bullet proof” on the campus on 7th April, 2021.
The suspect who has since been handed over to the law enforcement agency claimed that, he came to the campus to celebrate end of the examination with his sister.
It was the continuation of the security check at the gate that led to the arrest of Tenimu who was coming to the campus purportedly to write his ND II final examination on Friday, 9th April, 2021.
He was stopped by the ‘stop and search’ officer and was asked to hand over his belongings.
He took to his heels when he realised he would be caught with live ammunition, but it was too late for him
He has since been handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further interrogation and investigation.
Meanwhile, the Rector, Dr Salisu Ogbo Usman, has assured members of staff, students and the general public that no stone would be left unturned in the efforts to ensure that sanity is restored on the campus to make the atmosphere conducive for teaching and learning.
The Rector who commended the security unit of the institution for a yeoman’s job however appealed to members of the Polytechnic community to always be on the side of the law.