UNIOSUN students in violent protest over missing colleagues

Femi Makinde,  Osogbo

Students of the Osun State University on Wednesday took over the popular Olaiya Junction and some streets in Osogbo, burning tyres and vandalising property as they protested against the disappearance of their colleagues.

A 400-level student of Microbiology Department, Sakariyau Abdulrofiu, was called out by a neighbour, who is popularly known as Alfa, 10 days ago and his corpse was found at the back of Alfa’s house on Tuesday.

Earlier, two  400-level students of Computer Engineering, Robert Akinduro and Sameul Eke, disappeared since September 5, 2016.

The cases prompted the students to stage a protest against the disappearance of their fellow students.

Dressed in uniform black shirts and trousers, the students chanted war songs and attacked motorists, motorcyclists and journalists.

The students invaded the NUJ Correspondent Chapel’s office on Fagbewesa Street and slapped a female journalist, Seun Adesokan, while others were manhandled for daring to take their photographs.

The irate students broke the gate into Habeeb Filling Station on Odi Olowo Street, drew fuel by force and stole bottles of drink at the supermarket on the premises of the filling station.

The students also made bonfires on the Osogbo-Gbogan Road, and later marched towards the state secretariat, where the Governor’s Office was located.

All the roads leading to Olaiya Junction were barricaded and some of the students stayed back to ensure that the roads were not cleared.

One of the residents, Akin Adenitan, told our correspondent  that the students mobbed a popular Yoruba actor, Olaniyi Afonja, aka Sanyeri, while he was trying to withdraw money at Sterling Bank.

Adenitan said, “There was a drama at Sterling Bank ATM point when the protesting students saw a popular Yoruba actor, Sanyeri, on the bank premises.

“On sighting the actor, the students started shouting his name and rushed towards him. Sanyeri, who sensed that he might be mobbed, tried to run away, but he was caught and the students asked him to give them money.”

“The students berated Governor Rauf Aregbesola for keeping silent on the missing students, saying he did not make any statement because the victims were not “children of prominent politicians.”

Security operatives deployed to quell the protest were initially civil, but later dispersed the students when they noticed that they (students) had become tired.

It was gathered that some of the protesting students were arrested by the police, but the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, said none of the students was arrested.

He said the students showed their grievances and left the streets for their hostels.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, has commiserated with Shonibare family over the killing of their son.

In a statement on Wednesday, the commissioner appealed to the students to be calm.

The Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Mr.  Najeem Salaam, also expressed sadness at the murder.

The Speaker, in a statement, called on security agencies to flush out those engaged in criminal activities in the  university environment.

He said, “The state will not allow men and women of wicked intention to hold sway in a university environment.

“Security operatives arrested some suspects, which is commendable and promising in crime fighting.

“The host community should provide security agencies with information. The killing of  that innocent student is unacceptable and will be treated with seriousness.”

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UNIOSUN students in violent protest over missing colleagues

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