LASU students shut gates, protest soldiers ‘maltreatment’
The students of Lagos State University, Ojo, have shut both gates leading to the school in protest against soldiers torturing some students last week.
A parent who could not exit the campus told The PUNCH that the students locked up both the Iyana-Iba and Ojo gates, thereby preventing both vehicular and pedestrian movement.
He said, “We have been here for some hours. The students locked up both gates. Everywhere is filled with vehicles trying to come in and exit. The security men said the students shut the gates because their executives and some students were beaten by soldiers last week. We are all waiting at the gate, no movement.”
The institution’s Public Relations Officer promised to make enquiries on the cause of the protest and get back to our correspondent. But as of the time of filing this report, he had yet to reply to our enquiry as promised.
Gates now open
The management of the institution has opened the gates of the institution, The PUNCH later gathered
A student who gave her name simply as Dunsin narrated the cause of the protest to our correspondent, saying, “On the presidential election day, some soldiers beat up our Student Union Government President because the SUG hindered community members from entering the campus to vote early enough.
“The SUG took the initiative because of the safety of students and staff of LASU. They wanted us to vote before granting community members access to our campus.
“However, when the community members eventually entered, they came in with soldiers and beat up our executives and some students. It was announced last Monday (February 27) that there would be a protest today (Monday), so that was the reason the gates were shut for some hours and protest held too against maltreatment, assault on student by soldiers.”
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Olaniyi Jeariogbe, also confirmed that calmness had returned to the campus.
