Ogun Police Under Fire for Alleged Assault on Gateway Poly Students

​The Ogun State Police Command has launched a high-level investigation following reports that operatives from the Igbesa Police Division allegedly brutalized students of the Gateway Institute of Technology (GGIT) on Tuesday.

​The confrontation reportedly began after a student was detained for possessing “black soap,” a traditional item often unfairly profiled by security agents. The situation escalated when the President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Ilo Temitope, arrived at the station with a delegation of students to mediate.

​Escalation and Allegations of Violence

​According to eyewitness accounts and viral video footage, the peaceful intervention turned violent when police officers reportedly refused the SUG President access to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).

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​”I asked to see the DPO and we were refused,” Temitope stated in a video recorded during the heat of the incident. “The students started singing Aluta songs because our colleague was locked in a cell. Immediately, officers arrived… one aimed a gun at us and cracked it.”

​Reports suggest that Temitope himself was subsequently assaulted and detained. Further footage circulated online shows a student in a bloodied blue polo shirt crying out against intimidation, while a female witness claimed the DPO was personally involved in the physical assault of the union leader.

​Students Demand Accountability

​The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the act, labeling it a “direct violation of fundamental rights.” In a statement via PRO Adeyemi Ajasa, the association demanded the immediate identification and sanctioning of the officers involved.

​Furthermore, a coalition of SUG presidents from eight tertiary institutions across Ogun State has issued a joint demand for:

• ​An official public apology from the Igbesa Police Division.
• ​Rigorous disciplinary action against the offending officers.
• ​Guaranteed protection for students against future harassment and unlawful arrests.

​Police Command Reacts

​In response to the growing public outcry, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, has ordered a “comprehensive investigation” into the encounter.

​The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, assured the public that the command remains committed to professionalism. “Where any misconduct is established, appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken in line with extant regulations,” Babaseyi stated, urging students to remain calm while justice is pursued.