Two staff shot, 10 injured, as police clash with Federal College of Agriculture students in Ibadan
No
fewer than two staff of the Institute of Agricultural Research and
Training (IAR&T), Ibadan were hospitalised on Monday after some
overzealous men of the Oyo State Police Command clashed with students of
the Federal College of Agriculture, Moore Plantation, Apata Ibadan.
DAILY
POST gathered that trouble started some minutes before 8 am on Monday
when students of Federal College of Agriculture, who shares the same
premises with IART&T and Federal College of Animal Health and
Production Technology were protesting within the premises against the
leadership of the Provost of the institution, Dr. Babajide Adelekan.
The
students noted that they were tired of protracted strikes by workers of
the institution and various crisis that had been rocking Adelekan’s
administration.
A commercial motorcyclist who plies the popular
Mokola-Dugbe-Apata Road while speaking with DAILY POST on condition of
anonymity disclosed that students of the institution were protesting
peacefully and blocked the Apata-Dugbe Road when the police came to
disperse them.
He noted that the melee started when the policemen arrived and started chasing the protesters.
He
added that the students resisted the police invasion, which made the
police to re-enforce and chase students, staff of the three institutions
and other people on sight.
It was gathered that two staff of
IAR&T, including Mrs Helen Adekanmi and another male staff who were
sht during the francas have been hospitalised and are currently
receiving treatments at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
An
industrial training (IT) student, a male staff Mr. Lanre Johnson and
ten other staff whose names were still being collated as at the time of
filling this report sustained various degrees of injuries on their
heads, legs, toes and arms.
Five cars belonging to staff of
IAR&T were also seen by our correspondent damaged during the melee
that lasted for over two hours.
DAILY POST correspondent who
arrived the premises where the three institutions are situated at 11. 30
am saw various injurious items such as broken bottles, stones and
sticks which the two parties used against each other. The items were
seen littering the road and the premises.
Mobile policemen
from various police stations such as Dugbe, Apata, Oluyole were sighted
by DAILY POST, stationed with their patrol vehicles controlling
vehicular and human movements.
A source who confided in our
correspondent noted that the crisis in the college had been on for over
two years which has made the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to wade
into the crisis.
He said, “It has developed to this level. The
only thing that I know is that I was told that the students were tired
of staying at home. And they are tired of coming to the college doing
nothing. Therefore, they have to stage protest”.
The Executive
Director of IAR&T, Professor James Adediran who quickly cut off his
journey to Abuja described the incident as unfortunate.
Adediran
while speaking with DAILY POST condemned the ugly incident which
seriously affected activities in the institution, staff and other
members of the institute.
He noted that it was unfortunate that
policemen could not differentiate between staff of the institute and
students and staff of the College of Agriculture who were protesting.
Adediran
noted that his staff were about to resume for work when the policemen
came to invade the premises without sparing anyone.
He said that
he had to quickly return from his journey to Abuja when staff of the
institution called him about the situation on ground.
Adediran
said “This morning, our staff came to their places of work and
unfortunately the gates were locked, they had to look for ways to enter
into the premises, and unfortunately we leant that students were on
rampage shouting and demonstrating on the main road, so it was difficult
to enter.
“And personally, I was not around, I was on my way to
Abuja and I had to return back after Ilesa, I was already traveling, I
had to return on my way.
“When I came back, I was told that the
police entered the premises and started shooting and to be sincere I
want to say that two of our staff were shot, they were attacked.
“What
really happened is that there were stray bullets, the two of them, one
on the head and the other one in the abdomen. The two of them are still
in the hospital. They were rushed to the hospital, they are now
receiving treatments.
“I was told that they are recovering; I will visit the hospital to know the state of their health status.
“This
is IAR&T, there are three institutions in this premises, Federal
College of Agriculture, Federal College of Animal Health and Production
Technology and the IAR&T.
“As I told you, two of our staff
are in the hospital, one was hit on the leg and the other in the
abdomen. Some were injured on the heads and the hands”.
However,
all efforts by DAILY POST to get reaction of the spokesperson of the
state Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu proved abortive.
Calls put through his mobile phone were not answered when our correspondent called him.
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