Two people including a police officer and a student have reportedly died when the convoy of wife of governor of Ekiti state, Erelu Bisi Fayemi clashed with the protesting students of thr Federal University, Oye Ekiti, on Tuesday.
Mrs Fayemi, who was on a tour of council areas in the state, escaped being attacked by the protesters as they vandalised some vehicles in her convoy.
It was gathered that the students who saw the governor’s wife when she was going later went to the area where she was to carry out the attack.
A source said the governor’s wife was “whisked away from the scene in a commando-like manner, ” while others in her convoy scampered to safety. Some in the entourage of Mrs Fayemi including a journalist were injured.
Sources said the protesters also torched a police van and seized two rifles from policemen.
A source said, “Hoodlums and commercial motorcycle operators joined the students in the protest over poor power situation in the two campuses of the university.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the attack on the governor’s wife, said nobody was killed in the protest.
Ikechukwu said, “There was no loss of live. The students protested and blocked the Ifaki-Ikole-Omuo highway and prevented free flow of traffic. The students vandalised the property of BEDC.
“When policemen went there to dialogue with them, they ignored them. The wife of the governor who went on local government tour ran into the protesters.”
The students’ protest, which started as early as 6.30am, came on the heels of an earlier one held four months ago.
The President of the Students’ Union Government, Oluwaseun Awodola, had lamented poor power supply, which he said had heightened insecurity on the institution’s two campuses.
FUOYE Public Relations Officer, Mr Godfrey Bakji, who said the university was not in control of power, described the protest as senseless.
“We appealed to the students not to disrupt academic activities,” he added.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to Ekiti State Governor, Yinka Oyebode, said the attack on Mrs Fayemi’s convoy was unfortunate.
Oyebode said, “The students visited the situation on the wife of the governor who was going there to empower women and other people that are vulnerable.
“The attack was misplaced and very unfortunate, but I hope that the students will know that they could channel their grievances and be heard without resorting to violence.”
