By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi—Students of the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, ATAP, Bauchi, yesterday blocked entrances to the school, preventing vehicular movements in or out of the campus.

The protest according to the students was in seeking the removal of the Rector of the institution, Mr Bala Azare.

The placard-carrying students barricaded the ever busy Bauchi road accusing the Rector of corruption and injustice.

The protesting students claimed that the management of the institution in connivance with the rector embezzled the funds of the institution to the tune of several millions of naira and acquired properties of the institution illegally.

They also protested the poor state of infrastructure in the institution.

One of the protesters, Garba Mohammed, alleged that the management of  ATAP Bauchi was insensitive to addressing the pending issues of the institution, particularly the plights of students and staff.

“We will not sit and continue to watch the greed of some people in this institution to subject us to unnecessary sufferings and exploitation. We want the rector to go because he has deprived this institution of development”

Reacting to the development, the state Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed said that on about 10:00am, over 2,000 students of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi went on rampage and blocked the Bauchi -Jos Federal Highway with tyres and heavy stones  to protest against the Rector, thereby causing heavy traffic congestion and public nuisance which deprived residents and road users in the area.

He said Police patrol teams led by ACP Tony Okpara rushed to the scene and all efforts to pacify the students to disperse peacefully proved abortive, instead the students pelted the Police with stones and set bonfires on the highway.

DSP Haruna added that the situation nearly degenerated into total breakdown of law and order until when minimum Force was applied to disperse the rampaging Students.

He however claimed that normalcy was restored and the road was cleared for motorists who were stranded for more than two hours.