Panic as police disperse protesting students in Osogbo

Pandemonium broke out in Osogbo, capital of Osun State on Monday when anti-riot policemen fired tear gas to disperse students of the Osun State owned tertiary institutions who were protesting over the indefinite strike by their lecturers owing to non-payment of salary by the state government. The protest paralysed economic activities in the town and […]

Pandemonium broke out in Osogbo, capital of Osun State on Monday when anti-riot policemen fired tear gas to disperse students of the Osun State owned tertiary institutions who were protesting over the indefinite strike by their lecturers owing to non-payment of salary by the state government.

The protest paralysed economic activities in the town and caused traffic gridlock along Gbongan/Ibadan expressway as the protesting students moved to the office of the governor to register their grievance.

The protesters include students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke and Osun State Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun.

Trouble began when the protesting students began to  harasspassers-by and shop owners, but the riot policemen were deployed to disperse them.

The policemen fired teargas at the protesting students and they ran helter-skelter. Some of the students sustained injuries while some were arrested by the policemen. Students Union buses were also seized by the policemen.

 President of the National Association of Nigeria Students, Osun Axis, Mr. Luqman Adekitan faulted the action of the police, saying the protest was peaceful until the policemen came.

Reacting to the development, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola explained that the state government was working to ensure that normalcy returns to the tertiary institutions in the state.