The management of the Federal College of Forestry in Ibadan has made the decision to suspend academic activities and shut down the school following a disruption of peace caused by an invasion from officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The directive was communicated to staff and students through an internal circular dated October 25.
The circular, signed by the Registrar of the College, Mrs Abebi Agun, stated that all academic activities are to be suspended and the College closed down immediately until further notice. Additionally, all students residing in the College were instructed to vacate their halls of residence without delay.
The closure was confirmed by a source within the school, who shared a message from one of the Heads of Departments announcing the closure on a group WhatsApp platform. The message emphasized the need for peace and instructed all students to leave the premises and halls of residence until further notice.
The incident at the Federal College of Forestry occurred when EFCC officials allegedly entered the school premises. There are conflicting accounts as to why they were there, with one source claiming they were attempting to arrest a suspected internet fraudster, while another source suggests they were misled into the hostel by a suspect under investigation.
Regardless of the reason, the presence of the EFCC officials caused chaos among the students, who locked them inside the hostel and mobilized to resist any operation. Videos of the incident circulated online, showing the operatives shooting and students protesting with placards and throwing stones at them.
The closure of the Federal College of Forestry serves as a response to the breach of public peace and disruption of academic activities caused by the EFCC invasion. The management hopes that suspending activities and closing down the school will help restore calm and ensure the safety of staff and students.
