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Students of the School of Forestry in Ibadan, Oyo state have stormed the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the state capital.
The aggrieved students were at the EFCC Ibadan office to protest the alleged invasion by operatives of the commission on Tuesday.
It was gathered that operatives of the anti-graft agency had a brief meeting with the school’s management before making some purported arrests.
Reports emerged that some students were shot in the process and in the process, some EFCC personnel were attacked by some students of the college.
Though the school authorities are yet to comment on the issue, the EFCC issued a statement on Tuesday.
‘Unprovoked Attack’
A spokesman for the agency, Dele Oyewale, described the attack on EFCC operatives as unprovoked, calling for caution.
He said despite being provoked; the agency officials exercised restraints. The EFCC spokesman also dispelled rumours that some students or staff were shot.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that it will continue to perform its duties in line with its mandate, and unprovoked attacks against personnel of the Commission will no longer be tolerated,” the statement read.
“It is noteworthy that, operatives of the Commission exercised restraint in the face of the unprovoked attack and refrained from applying any force against the belligerent attackers. No student or staff of the college was shot, as armed operatives merely fired into the air to disperse the unruly crowd.
“A rescue team that came successfully released the seven operatives held hostage by the riotous crowd.”
According to him, two main entrance gates to the college were barricaded with a car believed to be owned by one of the lecturers of the college.
He also regretted that the bus that conveyed operatives to the college was vandalized, even, as students and staff of the college threw stones and dangerous objects at the vehicle.
