A peaceful protest of university students under the auspices of National Association of Nigeria Students and Joint Campus Committee (NANS/JCC) within and around Delta State who had come out in their numbers
Author: By Brisibe Perez
A peaceful protest of university students
under the auspices of National Association of Nigeria Students and Joint Campus
Committee (NANS/JCC) within and around Delta State who had come out in their
numbers to protest the continuous industrial action by the Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU) at the State capital, Asaba turned bloody as men of the
Delta State Police Command, who had come out to monitor the exercise were said
to have fired live bullets into the crowd of students in a bid to disperse the
crowd.
Speaking on the incident, a student who
spoke on anonymity stated that, “Having meticulously survived the recent
face-off between ASUU and the Federal Government, they in Delta State decided
to go on a peaceful rally to register their dissatisfaction at the slow space
of handling the issue which they argued is detrimental to the future of the
Nigeria students.
“We
embarked on the rally on the 22nd of August, 2013 after writing to Delta State
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba and Director of State Security
(SSS) intimating them of our intention to go on a peaceful protest. To our
dismay, the Nigeria police did everything possible to obstruct our effort by
first of all arresting the Student Union President of Delta State University
Abraka, Agboroli Joshua and other students on their way to Asaba along the
expressway, before the Asaba International Airport.
“After
much trouble and intervention, the arrested students were released. Despite the
police effort to obstruct our peaceful rally, we finally succeeded in convening
at summit junction, with the intention of moving on to the SSG’s office along
Okpanam road by Zenith Bank, where we wanted to register our grievances to the
government. It was at that point police said we should not move further.
“One Mr. Ifeanyi Emmanuel of the Nigeria police Asaba then ordered the police to shoot at the harmless students who were going about their protest, peacefully. He said the order to shoot at the students was an instruction from an ‘Oga at the Top’ whom he later identified as Delta State Commissioner of Police.
“In the course of the police shooting sporadically and firing canisters of tear gas, many students and even Journalists sustained various degrees of injuries, with three students critically injured. They are presently receiving treatment at St. Joseph Hospital Asaba,” the student reported.
The students who alleged that the State Government did not show any interest about the plight, however appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the issue and bring the trigger happy policemen to justice.
Another
student, Prince Uhrorho Koyoyo who was among
the protesters while recounting his ordeal, said, “While the protest was going
on, we were heading peacefully to the office of the Secretary to the Delta
State Governor, when the police arrived and stopped us along Okpanam Road in
front of Zenith Bank and asked us to turn back.
“While we were contemplating on what
to do, they opened fire and started shooting with live bullets and canisters of
tear gas at the students and some Journalist present scampered for safety.
“Unfortunately, a 300level physics student
of the Delta State University, identified as Ochuko Agagbe was not lucky as the
others, as he was hit by the shots from the police. I and another student had
to carry him as we ran for safety.
“Despite all these, the police was
still not deterred as they chased us. We later reassembled behind Bellyhood Hotel
to decide what next,” Koyoyo stated.
However, it was gathered that seven
of the protesting students were arrested, but were subsequently released.
When the State Public Relation
Officer, Mr.
Lucky Uyabeme was contacted on the matter, as at the time of filing in this
report, he said he was going to get the complete update on the situation
following a press release issued by the State Commissioner of police, but he
never sent the press release as at the time of going to the press.
Meanwhile, the State Police Command
was quick to issue a publication with the caption, “NANS Protest in Asaba:
Police Warn Parents” on the August 26th edition of the Vanguard
Newspaper.
According to the publication
credited to the State Commissioner of Police, it reads in part, “We have
information that the protest is being sponsored by some unidentified persons
and that hoodlums will hijack it to cause unrest in the State and the Police
cannot fold its hands and watch people cause problems.”
urhobotimes.com
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