FUTO Students Protest Tuition Fee Increase

What started like a peaceful protest, Friday, by students of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) turned awry as properties worth millions of naira were vandalized.

The students who were protesting an alleged increment in their tuition fee by the school management embarked on a peaceful procession in the University but went berserk after Policemen drafted to university to forestall breakdown of law and order, fired teargas at the students.

Thereafter, the students went on rampage after regrouping and broke into the school’s ICT Centre and carted away the computers and other electronic equipment running into millions of naira.

Majority of the buildings at various faculties were vandalized but the Policemen prevented the students from gaining access to the administrative block, which houses the office of the Vice Chancellor and other top management staff of the University.

According to the students, “it was supposed to be a peaceful protest and it started peacefully until the Policemen came and started firing teargas at us, while some where firing into the air. It was at that point that the students were provoked and vandalized some of the buildings”. The ICT Centre was completely looted and vandalized”

The school has been closed indefinitely.