By Gabriel Dike
A final year Law student of Lagos State University (LASU) was on Sunday stabbed to death by a commercial bus driver at Igando, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State during a scuffle.
The student, popularly known as CY on campus, Daily Sun learnt, died on the spot.
LASU Dean of Students Affairs (DSA), Dr. Olufemi Obayori, who confirmed the murder, told Daily Sun that one of the university’s students was involved in a minor scuffle with a commercial driver, whose bus crashed into his car.
He said the student was stabbed by the driver and he died on the spot.
According to him, during the Coconut breaking festival, as part of the 21st convocation ceremony, the information got to the students and they stormed Igando Police Station, to find out what happened. He said policemen misunderstood their mission and manhandled them.
The dean confirmed that the LASU Students Union (LASUSU) President, Samuel Kappo and three other students were detained, but owing to the intervention of the university management they were released.
Obayori explained that the driver, who stabbed the 500 level Law student, had been transferred to Alausa for further interrogation, stating that calm had returned to the scene of the protest and on campus.
He revealed that three other students injured during the protest were receiving treatment at the LASU clinic, even as he stated that the police had assured the university management that the driver was in custody.
In official statement about the incident, the LASU management said it was sad by the unfortunate death of “Ugwanyi Cyril Onyekachi, a 500 Level student of the Faculty of Law with Matric Number 130411107.”
The statement, from the vice chancellor’s office, commiserated with the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased’s student and in the same vein, saluted students of LASU, led by the LASUSU President, Mr. Samuel Kappo, for the maturity displayed in responding to the issue.
“Expectedly, angry reactions followed the news of the unfortunate incident. But the students’ leaders, having received assurance from the police of the arrest and detention of the driver alleged to have perpetuated the act, prevailed on the students to exercise restraints and calmness for justice to prevail,” the statement said.
It noted that the students had returned to their classrooms and were going about their activities peacefully.
A witness to the over four hours protest told Daily Sun that LASU students stormed the police station in large number, in search of the commercial bus driver but were manhandled by policemen.
He disclosed that the detention of some of the students’ leaders escalated the situation, as angry students blocked the road and went in search of policemen.