Following a violent confrontation between students from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and security personnel in the convoy of Ogun State’s Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, student leaders have called for a public apology from the deputy governor.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when students took to the streets of Abeokuta, protesting against an increase in school fees and the dissolution of their Students Union Government.
They were en route to the Governor’s Office when the altercation took place in the OPIC area of Oke Ilewo.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Francis Adeyanju, Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun Joint Campus Committee, called on Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun to investigate the alleged shooting of students by security operatives.
Adeyanju criticized a statement by Kayode Akinmade, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, which suggested the students had attacked the convoy, describing it as false and misleading.
According to Adeyanju, the security forces, not the students, were responsible for the violence.
He explained that the students, who were peacefully marching to the Governor’s Office to voice their concerns, did not approach the Deputy Governor’s convoy aggressively.
Instead, they were chanting protest songs when security operatives opened fire on them.
“The first shot grazed the arm of a NANS leader, causing chaos as students fled for safety,” Adeyanju recounted.
“The convoy then made a quick U-turn, but gunshots continued to ring out. It was by the grace of God that no students were seriously harmed.”
Adeyanju also stated that video evidence and eyewitness testimonies would support the students’ version of events. He revealed that several vehicles in the convoy were damaged as the drivers attempted to flee after the shooting.
On behalf of the students, Adeyanju demanded an apology from the Deputy Governor and a retraction of the “false” claims made by her office about the incident within 24 hours.
He warned that failure to meet these demands would result in large-scale student protests across the state.
“Should our demands go unmet, NANS in Ogun State will mobilize students from all six zones to protest the unjust and unprovoked attack on peaceful protesters,” Adeyanju added.
