LAUTECH CRISIS : POLICE SHOOTS AT STUDENTS PROTESTING 7 MONTHS OLD STRIKE

Reports suggest that police discharged their weapon at a peaceful protest by students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) who came out to protest the strike embarked upon by the school's chapter of ASUU.

As one of the students recounted the protest which was held in a peaceful manner was disrupted by the Oyo state police, who shot at them and also arrested some of them.

"My encounter with SP Abubakar of the Area command Ogbomoso on the 9th of December, at Ogbomoso-ilorin epressway LAUTECH has been on strike for 6months+ all thanks to the inhumane nature of our governors. The call for protest as raised by some comrades made me decide to lend my voiceto the#reopenlautechby joining them in the peaceful protest this morning.The protest was going on well and trailers and cars were prevented from moving for hours. The leader of the police who came and talked with me after the Aluta spirit has beenrevived, Superintendent of police M Abubakar told me he has been cooperating and he is happy to cooperate but that he has just received a call from his excellency Abiola Ajimobi asking him to clear the road by any means and that he is ready to comply with that directive. Together with some of the student leaders, I told him the students are tiredof staying at home and they must be allowed to show their displeasure.SP Abubakar gave us 20 minutes to talk with each other before he will direct his boys to disperse the students with tear gas. We started taking Aluta Formations just to ensure we were not intimidated. About 10minutes after, he called me and said he just got a text from the DSA asking him to disperse the students and that we don't have 10mimutes to stay and clear the road. I became furious and charged the students to stay knowing fully well that the police will not fire their guns.To my amazement, the police rolled out their armoured tanks and began to shoot at innocent students demanding their resumption. I was still coordinating when I heard the SP give orders to his boys...(catch them ). On hearing this and seeing students fleeing already, I decided to run even though I have inhaled their tear gas enough and I was feeling weak already. I quickly hid myself in a bush nearby and switched off my fone as the bruises on my body was painful. Looking up I saw a guy who was bruised by the bullet of the police. How the bullet did not kill him is still a miracle. I said my prayers in the bush and then slept off.Morale: the government of Oyo and osun are cruel, devilish and insensitive to the plight of Nigerian students. The police on its own, who ought to protect citizens began to shoot at students on the orders of a governor forgetting that the God of struggle is an avenger. To the DSA who also complimented the governor, I pray that you won't rest of headache until you apologise for your stupid act. To the Lautech students who were victims of today's attempted murder, please do not relent. Our God who is the protector of his children has kept us from losing any student and he will keep protecting us. To the students who are at home and doing social media advocacy, your future has no value to you. Many of you think your parents have money but what about others who do not have. Please plan to join your colleagues as they put pressure on this government who have sworn to destroy destinies of the youths.Aluta continua...Victoria Aserta."

The academic staff had been attending to their students and engaged in supervision while enduring the hardship, stating that out of the subventions owed, Osun State government is owing 15 months while Oyo State owes eight months.