Ekiti Gov’s wife escapes, two killed as FUOYE protest turns violent

The protest embarked upon by students of the Federal University,
Oye-Ekiti, turned violent on Tuesday evening leaving in its trails
vandalisation of properties.

Wife of the Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, who was
on tour of council areas in the state, escaped being attacked by
the protesters as they smashed all the vehicles in her convoy.

Sources at Oye Ekiti alleged that no fewer than two persons were
feared killed in the course of the protest.

The students had got hint of the presence of the governor’s
wife, as had been to two other council areas earlier.

Sources said the governor’s wife was “whisked away from the
scene in a commando-like manner,” while others in her convoy
scampered to safety.

However, some people, including journalists in the First Lady’s
convoy, were injured in the attack.

The protesters, armed with sticks and stones, attacked
unsuspecting commuters.

When the convoy of the governor’s wife arrived, they hurled
stones at the vehicles.

Sources alleged that the protesters, which comprised students,
hoodlums and commercial bike operators, torched a Police van and
reportedly seized two rifles from policemen.

According to sources, hoodlums and commercial bike operators had
joined the students in the protest over poor power situation in the
two campuses of the university and the host communities.

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command,
Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the attack on the governor’s
wife, debunked reports that two persons were killed in the
protest.

Ikechukwu said, “Nobody was killed. There was no loss of
life.

“The students protested in the morning and blocked the
Ifaki-Ikole-Omuo highway and prevented free flow of vehicles.

“The students did not allow vehicles to move freely and they
vandalised the property of BEDC.

“When Police went there to speak with them, they resisted them.
And the wife of the governor who went on local government tour ran
into the barricade mounted on the road.

“The students were reported to have been violent, attacking cars
and smashing the windscreens of vehicles.

“We want to warn that the command won’t tolerate hooliganism
under any guise.

“We want to assure the public that the Police are on top of the
situation and our people must go about their normal
businesses.”

The students’ protest, which started as early as 6.30am, came on
the heels of an earlier one four months ago over the same cause,
with the placards-carrying students massed at the gates of their
campuses to prevent entry.

They also disrupted smooth flow of traffic on the federal
highway leading to Ilupeju, Ikole, Kogi and Abuja axis.

President of the Students’ Union Government, Oluwaseun Awodola,
while addressing the students, had lamented poor power supply,
which he said had heightened insecurity of lives and property on
the two campuses and host communities.

Awodola said, “The generality of Oye Ekiti is suffering from
poor power supply.

“Students are being molested in the night, we are attacked at
night, and we are regularly robbed at the night because we don’t
have light.

“Everywhere in FUOYE is dark. Students keep charging at petrol
filling stations. This is risky.

“We don’t want mass death in FUOYE. What we want is stable power
supply,” he said.

FUOYE Public Relations Officer, Mr. Godfrey Bakji, who said the
university was not in control of power supply, described the
protest as senseless.

He appealed to the students not to disrupt academic
activities.