By Vincent UFUOMA
THREE weeks after a violent clash between students and security agents claimed the lives of two students and left others injured at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, FUOYE, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has released a report on the incident.
The national union of students led by Bamidele Danielson, on Thursday condemned the killings and attacks on students by security agents in Ekiti.
NANS said officers of the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) were in the convoy of the state’s first lady, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, and not the operatives of the Special Protection Unit designated for the protection of dignitaries in the country.
The student body accused the Ekiti State government of wrongly blaming the students’ actions for the violence.
“The Ekiti State Government hurriedly, without verification and due diligence, through the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Culture, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua laboriously attempted to pull the wool off the eyes of the public by dishing out dishonest views with respect to what transpired; all were aimed at covering up the stark reality of their misdeed,” the union said.
“The subtle plans to negate the occurrence and paint a picture of political attacks were soon distorted by on-the-spot video recordings of the brutality.”
Contrary to insinuations that the crisis was caused by men of the Nigerian Police in Ekiti, NANS said it found that the CTU officers who were responsible are not under the control of the Police Command in Ekiti.
“While many believed that Police officers at the Ekiti State Command precipitated the crisis, NANS’ investigation revealed that the CTU officers attached to the wife of Ekiti State Governor are not under the control of the Police command,” it said.
NANS demanded that the Ekiti State Government compensate the families of the deceased and those injured, that the first lady apologise publicly, that the CTU officers be named and prosecuted, and transformers should be supplied to the campus surroundings to facilitate power supply—all before October 10, 2019.
Demands made by the association include:
- That it is incumbent as a ‘moral duty’ on the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi to make available the list of Counter Terrorism Unit officers attached to her person and office.
- That Erelu Bisi Fayemi should tell the entire public why she moves in a convoy of CTU officers instead of Special Protection Unit officers designated for the protection of VIP such as her likes.
- That an apology letter be written by Erelu Bisi Fayemi; published in at least 5 national dailies, 6 television stations with wide coverage and 12 radio stations spread across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and 20 online news medium.
- That the Ekiti State Government should without delay retract statements credited to the Commissioner of Information, Orientation and culture claiming that the wife of the governor and her convoy were attacked by FUOYE students.
- That beyond condolence visits paid to families of Kehinde Dada and Joseph Okonofua, practical effort should be made by the state government to deliberately assuage the grieving families through; 1. Employment into the state civil service at least 2 members of each of the families of the deceased students deemed employable. 2. Immortalization of the slain students. 3. Immediate release of CTU officers attached to the wife of the Ekiti State Governor for prosecution in accordance with the laws. 4. That a judicial commission of inquiry involving all stakeholders including the students, members of the host communities and the deceased families be set up immediately to unravel the cause of the incident with a view to forestalling future occurrence. 5. The Ekiti State Government should immediately pay the gratuity and pension of the parents of Kehinde Dada which they have not paid for Seven Years after retirement. 6. That all the medical bills of the survivors be paid with Twenty million Naira (N20m) each as compensation.
- That the Ekiti State Government should as a matter of urgency provide transformers to communities hosting the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti to facilitate regular supply of electricity.
- That the Benin Electricity Distribution Company should show efficiency and ensure supply of electricity to the campuses of FUOYE both at Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti and other communities where the students reside.
- That no attempt should be made at pointing accusations at the Students Union Government of FUOYE, any of her executives and or any students in relation to the protest which is entirely not connected with the brute of the overzealous CTU officers attached to Erelu Bisi Fayemi.
- That the IGP should as a matter of urgency reconstitute the Police Students Relations Committee who can interface and nip in the bud the incessant killing of innocent Nigerian students by trigger-happy Police officers and create a student’s friendly police.
- That the Police authorities should bar police officers such as SARS, CTU e.t.c other than the regular police from meddling in student matters especially on campuses or communities hosting students.
- That the NANS hereby places a ban on the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and her spouse from entering, attending or participating in any activity(ies) on any campus of any Tertiary Institution in Nigeria pending the resolution of all issues in contention.
- That NANS’ demands that all of these demands are met before 10th October 2019.