Posted by By Kolade Larewaju & Tunde Sesan on
THE Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, yesterday admitted that shots were fired at its students at the palace of the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba AbdulRasaq Adenugba, while the students were protesting the alleged killing of one of their colleagues by the vigilance group in the town.
ABEOKUTA -- THE Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, yesterday admitted that shots were fired at its students at the palace of the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba AbdulRasaq Adenugba, while the students were protesting the alleged killing of one of their colleagues by the vigilance group in the town.
The school said that two students were injured by the shots while other scampered for safety.
The university, in a release signed by the Registrar, Apostle Samuel Ajayi, explained what actually happened during the crisis and stated that as at the moment the casualty figure suffered in the mayhem was yet to be established.
Apostle Ajayi said that the university after receiving reports that one of the students Mr. Lawal Ismail was allegedly attacked by some vigilance men, which led to his death, tried to bring the situation under control as students left for the palace of the Ebumawe to protest.
"Efforts were made by the university officials, led by the Principal Officers of the university to dissuade the students to move away from the palace to no avail.
"Information gathered later revealed that the local vigilante groups gathered in the burnt palace and organised a retaliatory attack on the students' populace. The attacks which continued all over the night accompanied by the use of traditional oro cult, left several students injured, maimed and raped. Many properties belonging to staff and students of the university [including university buses] were vandalised and burnt."
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), has asked for the removal of the Oba of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasak, blaming him for enacting outrageous laws that have been restricting the students of the institution, as they decried the recent alleged killing and maiming of students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (OOU).
NANS, in a statement, said "having carefully observed the on-going crisis between the OOU students and Ago-Iwoye community in Ogun State, NANS wishes to express Nigerian students' displeasure on the renew hostility cum war declared on students by the Oba led vigilante group which has in recent time become unbearable and intolerable."