Eric Patrick
Operatives of the Delta State Task Force have been caught on camera assaulting the president of the Student Union, identified only as Edemakiota.
A video obtained by First News on Saturday captured how the officers were assaulting and trying to arrest the SUG president.
The relentless mistreatment of civilians by law enforcement officials has escalated into a troubling reality.
For several years, Nigerians had reported increasing incidents of mistreatment by law enforcement officials sworn to protect them.
However, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Council (JCC) Delta State has voiced its strong opposition to the harassment and arrests carried out by security personnel associated with the Operation Delta Hawk task force.
The association expressed disapproval regarding the physical assault on the Students’ Union President of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Comrade Etinosa Edemakiota.
In a recent statement, its Chairman, Samson-Ikpahwore Kisoranking, urged the creation of a committee to foster a relationship between security operatives and students.
He emphasised the importance of dialogue to address pressing issues, particularly the need to put an end to alleged victimisation in the wake of an assault on the students’ leader.
The statement read, “Earlier today, dated 27th of March, 2025, I saw two vehicles of OPERATION DELTA HAWK carrying the SUG PRESIDENT, Comrade Etinosa Edemakiota and leaving the campus environment of the prestigious Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun accompanied by other vehicles belonging to the CSO of the University and a few other vehicles.
“I stopped one vehicle to know what the issue was, and I was told that the SUG President was brutally maltreated by the officers of the Joint Task Force. I drove after them to the nearby police station to address the matter.
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“I was duly informed that the SUG President approached the uniformed men with a camera to interrogate their actions.
“But on seeing a piece of the video, the young man just wanted to know what the situation was and made sure he had proof for it. But the officers, upon seeing the camera recording, swung into brutal action against the president.
“Today it is being seen as a little matter, but I want to categorically state it here as the grand commander of all Nigerian students living and schooling in Delta State that
“We will not continue to treat matters with a peaceful approach if any security agency decides to be violent on students irrespective of their level, age, tribe, societal status, and religion.
“We have listened to our leaders well enough to always seek peace in every part of the state and if we must continue in this direction, then the security agencies and forces should be willing to be very civil and professional in conflict resolution and not always looking for a way to assault or extort students irrespective of their crime.
“This young man who has been brutalized in this manner should be given prompt attention by the commander of the Joint Task Force as he is currently in pain.
“The Commissioner of Police of the Nigerian Police Force, alongside the Commander of the 63 Brigade Nigerian Army, engage students through NANS JCC in a security summit to address these basic misunderstandings in Delta State.
“An injury to one is an injury to all, and we will not continue to be silent on this to our own detriment just because we want to maintain the peace in Delta State.
“I also want to use this medium to call all necessary hands both in the comrade community and in Government to critically advise on this matter as we will no longer continue to smile at matters of this sort… As a matter of fact, we always want to hear that the JTF caught kidnappers or armed robbers around the campuses, and we’ll know that they’ve really tried to deprive a student from asking questions and attacking him.”