The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has suspended the Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, indefinitely following student protests over use of the institution as a temporary National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, which led to a security breach, injuries, and chaos on campus.
To avoid leadership vacuum, the governor directed the most senior Deputy Rector to acts in his place in the interim.
Aside from that, the governor has inauguration a three-person panel to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the student protest inside the institution.
The committee is headed by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Sulyman. and other members include the Commissioner for Environment Nafisat Buge and the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare, Dr. Olufunke Shittu.
The governor gave the order on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after closing the school to avoid further breakdown of law and order in the state.
In a statement released by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, the governor stressed that the committee has two weeks to submit its report to the protest.
According to the statement, the committee terms of reference are to look at the remote and immediate causes of the protest and handling of same; recommend ways to prevent such things in the future; and make further recommendations on the growth of the school.
“The committee will engage with all relevant stakeholders on its assignment”.
Earlier, the school closure statement read, “The Polytechnic had earlier been designated by the state government as a temporary NYSC orientation camp due to prevailing security challenges in the state.
“While previous batches of corps members were accommodated during periods when students were on break or yet to fully resume, the current orientation exercise coincided with full academic activities.
“To ensure a smooth NYSC orientation exercise and prevent any breakdown of law and order, the management granted students a three-week break effective Monday, January 19, 2026.”
However, some students reportedly rejected the decision, citing concerns that they had just resumed from the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The protest later escalated, prompting the intervention of security operatives.
The management disclosed that while police were invited to restore order, some officers allegedly exceeded their mandate by firing tear gas canisters into the campus, including student hostels.
“The action affected several students and staff, including the polytechnic’s Chief Security Officer, who sustained injuries,” the statement added.
