By Winifred Bulus
Students of University of Abuja in Nigeria, Monday blocked the express way passing in front of their institution, hindering vehicular movement into Nigeria’s capital city. The incidence followed the accidental killing of a year two student, by a motorist on Sunday night.
The students demanded that Nigerian government provide a better medical facility in the school and improve on the security situation around the main campus.
A final year Sociology Student of the University, Comrade Egberi Papa one of Bayelsa told AFRICA PRIME NEWS that, “The 200 level student was on her way to school from home at about 8:00pm and was approached by a group of bandits. They were coming to attack her while she was on the pedestrian crossing close to our school gate. The girl ran down from the pedestrian crossing and was hit by an oncoming vehicle.”
The driver took her to the school clinic, where she died as a result of poor emergency facilities.
Another student told journalists that, “They (robbers) have been robbing students in front of the school for some time now. She was knocked down by a car while trying to escape armed robbers.”
Late last night, President of the Student Union Government, Okoye Abdulazeez, in a statement says the chief security officer of the institution “must go” since he could no longer protect the students.
His statement added, “Our university clinic must be adequately staffed and equipped….We thereby jingle the solidarity bell to all the students. Come 6:00 am Monday, we are converging at the front of main campus of University of Abuja. And our prayers to the vice-chancellor must be honoured.”
Other Issues On Ground Before The Protest
The protest was to declare the University’s Chief Security Officer unfit to secure the school.
“The Chief Security Officer is unfit and has not been fair to students. We want him to be replaced since he cannot provide security for us. The chief Security is not being fair to students and has some irregularities,” says Abubakar, a Law student.
Investigation by AFRICA PRIME NEWS reveals that the Chief Security Officer had disqualified candidates who were contesting for the post of President of the Student Union Government, Vice President and Secretary-General on claims that they were cultists.
The students were likely to have won the elections. “He decided to replace them with students that would dance to the tune of the school management instead of those that would fight for student right,” said a student who wants to remain anonymous.
The students are protesting because of what they termed ‘injustice’ going on in the university and the death of a student as a result of the Chief Security’s failure for security in the school.
“The scene of the incident where the robbers wanted the attack the girl is just outside our school. We want better security here on the Main campus and at the Mini campus,” said the student.
