Following the violent altercation between Moshood Abiola Polytechnic students and security personnel accompanying the deputy governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele’s convoy, student leaders have called on the deputy governor to issue an apology.
On Wednesday, students protested against the breakup of the Students Union Government and the rise in school fees by taking to the streets of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
The altercation occurred in Oke Ilewo’s OPIC neighbourhood when they were allegedly marching to the governor’s office.
However, Francis Adeyanju, the chairman of the Ogun Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students, requested that Prince Dapo Abiodun, the state governor, look into the security personnel’s alleged shooting of students who were protesting during a news briefing on Thursday.
According to Adeyanju, Kayode Akinmade, the Special Advisor to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, made a false and erroneous assertion that the students attacked the convoy.
He claimed that Akinmade purposefully tried to paint the children in a negative light with his remarks about the incident.
The student leader disputed the assertion that the Deputy Governor was attacked by the protesting students who stormed into her convoy and used cudgels and other deadly weapons, claiming that the students were shot by the convoy’s security personnel.
He said, “The students, who were on their way to the Governor’s Office in Oke Mosan, to present their grievances, met the convoy of the deputy governor at Oke Ilewo and never surged towards her.
“Rather, they were singing and chanting the Aluta songs to let the deputy governor also know their predicament.
“Alas! The show of love and respect for the deputy governor by the students was misconstrued by the overzealous and trigger-happy security in her convoy, who instead of observing the situation properly, decided to open fire on the defenceless students.
“The first shot fired grazed the arm of a NANS leader, while others scampered for safety.
“Having realized their folly, however, the convoy quickly made a U-turn. Nevertheless, gunshots continued to rend the air. It was the God Almighty who protected the students from lethal assault by these security operatives.
“We have video evidence and tell-tale signs to back our assertions. Onlookers who witnessed the event at Oke Ilewo yesterday can also testify to this.
“In fact, some of the vehicles in the convoy were damaged as they hit one another when the drivers were trying to make a detour after the security details fired volleys of live bullets at the students.”
Adeyanju made demands on behalf of his fellow students, including a retraction of the purported misinformation spread about the pupils and an unconditional apologies from the deputy governor.
“We hereby, demand an apology from the deputy governor as well as retraction of falsehood hewn against the NANS, by her office, within 24 hours.”
“Failure to comply with our demands, the NANS in Ogun State will mobilize en masse, students across the six zones of the apex student body and march in protest against the injustice, unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on students on peaceful protest, by the convoy of the deputy governor,” he said.