Why we arrested protesting Kwara teachers – Police [PHOTOS]

On Wednesday, Kwara State Police Command arrested six of the 2,414 sacked teachers in the state for allegedly contravening COVID-19 protocols during a protest at the State Government House in Ilorin, TopNaija reports.

TopNaija recalls that the State Universal Basic Education Board teachers, known as ‘Sunset Workers’ employed in the twilight of former Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed’s administration in February 2019, were fired by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in December 2020.

Sequel to their disengagement, the government placed an advertisement for the employment of 2,701 teachers in its basic schools, and the sacked teachers, who had been protesting since last week Wednesday, demanded automatic slots.

According to them, they have been in the state government employ for about two years before their sacking, adding that they have requisite qualifications that made them suitable for the job.

However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, in a statement, said six of the teachers had been arrested.

He said, “This offence was committed in the process of an alleged protest by a group, called the ‘Sunset’ teachers in the Ilorin metropolis.

“Not only did they run foul of the COVID-19 guidelines, they also in their multitude blocked the popular Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, thereby preventing lawful users of the road of their rights of passage by disturbing the public peace, which is in contravention of Section 113 of the Penal Code.”

Kwara has a federal university, the University of Ilorin, a state university, Kwara State University, two polytechnics, Kwara State Polytechnic and Federal Polytechnic Offa, three colleges: the college of education, Ilorin, Kwara State College of education, Oro, School of Health technology, Offa, Kwara State College of Nursing, Òkè ode and college of Nursing, Ilorin.

It is also home to four Private universities; Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Crown Hill University, Eiye N’korin, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin and Summit University, Offa. There is also a navy school, Nigerian Navy School of Health Science Irra Road Offa and aviation college, International Aviation College, Ilorin