The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Kwara State Polytechnic has raised the alarm over what it described as the continued disruption of academic life and endangerment of students’ welfare following the use of the institution’s campus as a temporary National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp.
In a strongly worded press statement issued on Monday, the students said the arrangement, though linked to prevailing security challenges in the state, had come at a heavy cost to learners who paid to study and reside within the Polytechnic.
Speaking on behalf of the student body, the SUG said hostels paid for by students were taken over, academic activities disrupted, sports and campus life halted, while many students were left stranded without accommodation or clear alternatives.
“This is not a political struggle, neither is it sponsored by any external force. It is the genuine cry of students defending their welfare, dignity and right to education,” the union said.
According to the statement, concerns over the use of the campus as an NYSC camp had been formally communicated to the Polytechnic management as far back as December 8, 2025, with appeals for proper planning and consideration for student welfare. The students, however, claimed no meaningful response was received.
The SUG further recalled a meeting held on January 18, 2026, involving the Polytechnic management, NYSC officials and representatives of the Ministry of Youth Development, where students again warned of the implications of the arrangement, including forced eviction from hostels, disruption of academic calendars and the risk of students being stranded far from home.
Despite these concerns, the union said a memo was later issued declaring a three-week holiday, effectively compelling students to vacate the campus without support or safety guarantees.
The situation, according to the students, reached a breaking point on January 19, 2026, when appeals for calm and dialogue yielded no result, prompting a peaceful protest by students seeking to be heard.
The union alleged that the protest was met with what it described as excessive force, as security operatives reportedly stormed the campus with armoured vehicles, fired tear gas, injured students and staff, and forcefully evacuated hostels, including the Students’ Union building.
“This use of force against unarmed students was unnecessary and deeply painful,” the statement said, stressing that the protest was peaceful and aimed at dialogue, not confrontation.
Reiterating its position, the SUG said students were not opposed to the NYSC scheme but insisted that the Polytechnic should no longer be used as an orientation camp after the current batch, noting that the campus was not designed or funded to serve as a substitute for a permanent NYSC facility.
The students called for the immediate and permanent discontinuation of the use of Kwara State Polytechnic as an NYSC camp, insisting that learning environments should not be turned into zones of fear and uncertainty.
They also appealed for urgent intervention from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the NYSC Director-General, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), and the Polytechnic management to prevent further escalation.
“Peace cannot exist where students are ignored, and stability cannot be built on suffering,” the union warned.
While commending students for remaining peaceful, the SUG said it remained open to dialogue but would not be silent while student welfare continued to be undermined.
“Students are the future of this country, and how we are treated today reflects the Nigeria we are building tomorrow,” the statement concluded.
