Police in Osun State on Monday clashed with students of the state’s tertiary institutions in Osogbo as the latter stormed the streets to demand the return of lecturers to the classroom.
Although the protest was meant to be peaceful, it soon degenerated into a fracas when the protesters turned their anger against citizens and rained stones at the police officers.
The police officers promptly replied by firing teargas canisters at the students who ran for safety.
Many of the protesters sustained various degrees of injuries, just as some of the vehicles brought by the students were also seized by the police officers.
The President of the National Association of Nigeria Students, Osun Axis, Luqman Adekitan, faulted the action of the riot policemen, noting the protest was peaceful until the police officers came and made it violent.
The students had gathered at strategic places as early as 9.00am, particularly along the popular Orita-Olaiya junction.
The protest which lasted for several hours, paralyzed economic activities in the city, just as the protesters brandished placards with inscription “Bring back our lectures” and “Re-open our campuses now”.
The protest which lasted for several hours, paralyzed economic activities in the city, just as the protesters brandished placards with inscription “Bring back our lectures” and “Re-open our campuses now”.
The protesting students later moved to the government secretariat in Abere to register their grievances at the office of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The Chief of Staff to the governor, Gboyega Oyetola, said the government was working tirelessly to ensure that normalcy returned to the tertiary institutions in the state.
He denied that the government instructed the riot police officers to use teargas against the protesters.
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