Take It Back Movement Demands End to Arbitrary Arrests and Intimidation at Bauchi Polytechnic

The Take It Back Movement, Bauchi State Chapter, has strongly condemned what it described as “heavy-handedness, intimidation, and harassment” of students at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, calling on the institution’s management and security operatives to immediately end the repression of student voices.

In a statement issued by the State Coordinator, Nazeef Bashi, the movement accused security forces of “once again trampling on the dignity and rights of Nigerian students” on Monday, August 12, 2025, after several students were arrested on campus.

Although some of the arrested students were later released following public pressure and swift intervention, Bashi maintained that “the underlying culture of intimidation persists.”

Alleged Phone Seizure by NSCDC Officer

Bashi cited an incident in which an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) allegedly seized the phone of a student at Mandela Compound while the student was updating him on the situation.

“This blatant act of intimidation will not silence us,” he declared, adding that efforts are underway to retrieve the phone and hold the officers involved accountable.

Polytechnic Accused of Colluding with Security Forces

The statement accused the Polytechnic administration of working hand-in-hand with security operatives to suppress legitimate student grievances rather than addressing welfare concerns.

“Educational institutions should be sanctuaries of learning, not battlegrounds of repression,” the Take It Back Movement stated. “Instead of addressing legitimate grievances and ensuring student welfare, the management has chosen to criminalize student voices and weaponize security forces against them.”

The Bauchi State Chapter of the Take It Back Movement issued four key demands:

1. Immediate return of the seized phone and an apology to the affected student.
2. An end to arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and harassment of students.
3. Accountability from the Polytechnic administration for collusion with security forces.
4. Respect for the constitutional rights of students to free speech, peaceful assembly, and association.

Bashi vowed that the struggle for justice, dignity, and freedom in Nigeria’s higher institutions will continue “until every student can speak, organize, and protest without fear.”

Background: Armed Robbery, Protest, and School Closure

Earlier reports had revealed that the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, shut down the institution indefinitely following a violent raid on the male students’ hostel by suspected hoodlums, which sparked protests on campus.

In a statement, the institution’s Registrar, Kasimu Salihu, said the robbers stormed the hostel on Monday night, stealing valuables including smartphones and laptops, and injuring two students.

The attack led to a Tuesday morning protest at the Polytechnic’s main gate, where students demanded urgent security measures. However, tensions escalated when police used teargas to disperse the crowd.

Eyewitnesses told Newsmen that the protest was a direct response to repeated cases of armed robbery in the Polytechnic’s host community, Yelwa–Gwallameji.