Posted by VINCENT ADEKOYE, Benin, CAJETAN MMUTA, Asaba (with agency reports) on
THREE students of University of Benin (UNIBEN) yesterday became the first major victims of the recent hike in pump price of petroleum products as they were allegedly shot dead in Benin City, Edo State capital while protesting the hike. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) meets today in Abuja over the hike.
THREE students of University of Benin (UNIBEN) yesterday became the first major victims of the recent hike in pump price of petroleum products as they were allegedly shot dead in Benin City, Edo State capital while protesting the hike. The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) meets today in Abuja over the hike.
The protest also left 30 others injured while 16 were arrested by the police. Unconfirmed reports said suspected robbers shot a filling station attendant on Urubi Street in the city for telling them that government had increased petrol price.
The development came even as condemnations continued to trail the increase with the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), saying the hike was unacceptable while former national vice-president, Association of Small Scale Industrialists (ASSI), Chief Michael Esuzor, questioned the rationale for the incessant increase.
Also, international price of crude oil which shot up to $70 per barrel Monday following Hurricane Katrina which swept the United States (.S.) from the Gulf of Mexico, dropped to $68 yesterday with a possibility of further downward movement by tomorrow.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government has last week announced an increase in the price of petrol from N51.00 to N65.00 thereby forcing a spiralling hike in the price of other commodities in the city.
The protest initiated by students of the University of Benin before it was hijacked by some street urchins who looted and vandalised property in all parts of the state.
But, spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Mr. Peter Ogboi who spoke to Daily Champion on the incident denied that it was police that killed the protesters, saying that they might have been trampled upon during the stampede that ensued from rushing. He, however, said he was awaiting full briefing on the matter.
Investigations conducted revealed that the protests, originally designed to be peaceful started in an orderly manner about 8.00 am from the gate of the main campus of the university towards the city with police escort until the students got to the busy Ring Road, where some street urchins infiltrated the students.
The first premises the irate protesters swooped on was Total Filling Station along Sapele Road where they vandalised the station, looted its safe and took as much as fuel as they wanted, free.
Many traders also had their wares destroyed at the Oba market situated at the Ring Road while all commercial banks in the area were forced to close down.
The protesters were, however, unlucky on their way to Akpapakva, the street where a greater percentage of commercial banks in the city, are situated, as they were confronted by armed anti-riot policemen deployed on the streets by the Edo State police Commissioner, Mr. Muktar Abbass.
It was at this juncture that the victims were allegedly shot dead while others sustained injuries. Addressing the protesters earlier before the protest became bloody, Edo State Deputy Governor, Chief Mike Oghiadome, told the students that their action was justified in view of the hardship being faced by such increase.
The deputy governor, however, called on the students to go back to their campus peacefully, adding that the state government would make their grievances known to the appropriate authorities.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged fuel attendant was yesterday shot in the head by a gang of armed robbers for daring to tell them to pay the new fuel price.
Reports said the four-man gang had driven to the station along Urbi Street in a Toyota jeep and were about to buy fuel when the attendant told them of the new price. One of them was said to have come out of the jeep, angrily opened fire on him after which they filled their tank free and left. He was immediately rushed do nearby private hospital.
Meanwhile the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has rejected the hike and demanded for rehabilitation of the nation's refineries