Police teargas JAMB candidates, arrest 50

THERE was pandemonium at the  state head office of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Makurdi, the Benue State capital on Monday as candidates bidding for the examination engaged officials of the board in a fisticuff leading to the arrest of over 50 of them.

The Guardian gathered that trouble started after JAMB officials who had earlier asked the candidates through text messages to come to their office and access their examination print-out for this coming Saturday’s Computer-Based Test (CBT) but to no avail as they were advised to return home and come the following day.

A source said the JAMB candidates who could not contained their anger, refused to leave and resorted to throwing stones at the JAMB officials as well as pulled down the security post of the office.

But, the JAMB officials invited the Police who rushed over and threw teargas canisters at the candidates to disperse them.

Confirming the incident to journalist  on phone, the Benue State Commissioner of Police Hyacinth Dagala said the over 300 candidates were asked by JAMB officials to wait for just one hour for the print-outs to be ready but they protested by throwing stones and making bonfire around the examination  board.

He said it was consequent to this that the police officers were deployed to the office to  dispersed the candidates with teargas canisters even as he said not less than 50 of them were arrested.