The University of Uyo (UNIUYO) in Akwa Ibom State has been shut down indefinitely, following the death of two students during an encounter with the Police. THISDAY checks revealed that the students had embarked on peaceful protest on the campus Wednesday, over the introduction of a new transport fare regime for the engineering and science students from the town campus to permanent site. Following the killing of the two students, some buildings on the campus were as at 6.30 p.m. torched, including the offices of the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, was said to have travelled to Abuja, on official engagement when the incident occurred. Management staff were said to have escaped through various routes ostensibly to avoid been attacked by the protesting students. When THISDAY visited the university, students were seen rushing out from the campus with their bags and valuable items. Sources said trouble escalated when the students broke the rule to move their protest outside the school premises, thereby meeting stiff resistant from security operatives at the Ikot Ekpene-Ikpa road roundabout. In the violent confrontation, the police said to have move in with more than 15 Hilux vans fully loaded with armed police opened fired and tear gas on the students resulting in the death of the two students while some others, mostly asthmatic students, were rendered unconscious. The school authority, it was gathered recently announced a new transport fare of N200 per day to convey students from the town campus to the permanent site with effect from Wednesday through private sector arrangement. Some of the students who spoke with THISDAY said they were not comfortable with some of polices being implementation in the school. A final year law student who didn’t want his name in print told THISDAY that police came in during the peaceful protest to shot sporadically, which resulted in a student being killed and other students falling unconscious as a result of the gun shots. “We were not armed but the police came with all sorts of ammunition in a peaceful protest embark by the students,” the student said. A 300-level engineering student lamented the increase in transportation fare which he said was not on the notice of the students. The Chief Security Officer (CSO), Col. Nyong (rted), who was chased out from the campus, admitted that school management brought in a private consultant to handle student transport fare from the town campus to the permanent site but at the rate of N100. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Etim Dickson, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed the protest, but denied knowledge of the deaths of any students. “We are outside to prevent escalation of the protest. We are aware of the demonstration, but we don’t have authorisation to enter the campus,” he stressed.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:27:03 +0000
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