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Police Detectives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) FIB, Abuja have allegedly killed two Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin by stray bullets when stormed the institution on Saturday morning to arrest suspected student cultists in their hostel.
Consequently, scores of protesters comprising students of Kwara state Polytechnic and residents of the neighbouring school Junction and the surrounding villages stormed the streets of Ilorin to protest the attack.
The police authorities, however, claimed that there was a clash in Lajolo village in the Polytechnic area when suspected students cultist laid ambush for the police during which a police officer was injured and two suspected students cultists were arrested.
The police team was said to have been to the Polytechnic area on the trail of student cultists who went and killed a student of Kwara state university, Malete on Friday and four suspected cultists were arrested.
The protesters from Polytechnic Junction took to Zango, area and Maraba down to Challenge on their way to government house at the time of filing this report.
Shops and offices around the Kwara Polytechnic Junction were under lock as business, economic and social activities around the areas were completely paralysed.
It was gathered that two of the victims of stray bullets died immediately while the other one was rushed to the nearby private hospital.
It was however gathered from some students that the operation was carried out by officers of National Drug Law Enforcement Area who went to arrest Yahoo students involved in illicit drug usage.
Soldiers were also seen at the junction of the school gate pacifying the protesting students to allow peace to reign.
Efforts to get the reaction of the office of NDLEA in the state at press time proved abortive, while credible sources in the office of the zonal office of EFCC said the operation was not effected by officers from the commission.
It was reliably learnt that the security operatives stormed the area Saturday morning to arrest suspected cult students who are involved in illicit drug usage The suspected students on a tip-off reportedly took to their heels and the security officers pursued them.
While efforts to arrest them appeared failing the security officers reportedly fired gunshots at them but hit three residents and missed the targets.
The state police command which reportedly drafted anti-riot police officers to return calm to the areas however confirmed the development.
According to the statement issued by the police spokesman, Ajayi Okasanmi, “Kwara State Police Command wishes to allay the fears agitating the minds of the general public, especially residents around Kwara State Polytechnic area, that the pandemonium experienced today within the area arose as a result of the attack unleashed on a team of Police detectives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) FIB, Abuja, who came on the trail of some cultists in the area.