• Students resists closure, blame VC for crisis
• Police arrest union president, release later
By Gabriel Dike
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) was literarily turned to a war zone on Friday as the protesting students engaged policemen and the school management in over five- hour battles for control of the campus.
The five-hour battle which started as early as 6.00am saw the students dislodging the policemen led by the Area Commander of Area D, O.C. Bakare (ACP) and took firm control of the two main gates and prevented both human and vehicular movement.
The protest on Friday came against the backdrop of the university Senate decision at an emergency meeting on Wednesday to shut indefinitely the 54-year-old institution after three day of protest by the students because of scarcity of water and erratic electricity.
Following the continuation of the protest, academic, administration and commercial activities were paralysed on campus as offices, banks and business ventures remained closed while campus shuttle buses were grounded.
The decision to shut the university indefinitely by the Senate without addressing the students demands worsen the situation as they resisted the closure and refused to vacate the hostels.
The university management in a statement said the Senate acknowledged the situation on campus occasioned by the on-going agitation by the students over poor electricity and water supply as well as the difficulty faced by many staying off campus to attend classes as result of the fuel crisis.
It observed that the problem of poor municipal services is a national issue that the governments both at federal and state level are addressing.
According to the statement, to avert further breakdown of law and order on campus, the Senate resolved that academic activities on campus be suspended with immediate effect, the university is shut, students are to vacate the various halls of residence and non should remain in the hostels after 10.00am on Friday, April 8.