… One student injured, 4 vehicles burnt, 4 others vandalised

By Moshood Adebayo

A peaceful protest by students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) yesterday turned bloody leaving one student injured, four vehicles burnt with several others vandalised.
The  violence, came few days after the vice chancellor of the university and the bursar were allegedly interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The students were protesting alleged insecurity that had become a recurring decimal in recent times, in the institution’s host communities. It was further gathered that students living off campus had been experiencing incessant invasion of their hostels by armed men.
The students in their hundreds had, early in the morning, blocked the main entrance to the institution, causing  traffic gridlock on the Alabata Road with many staff prevented from gaining entry into the institution. Many students and workers of the institution were stranded at different bus stops as irate students condemned the insensitivity of the university’s authorities.
Daily Sun gathered that one of the  private student hostels, Adejoke Hostel, in Isolu community was attacked by armed robbers on Wednesday. The development, it was gathered, led to disruption of academic and administrative activities in the institution.
However, the peaceful protest went awry, as the students allegedly attacked a  police team. The security team was led by the Divisional Police Officers of Obantoko and Odeda, Mrs. Veronica Osakwe and Mr. Ojogo Olorunlana.
In the attempt at dousing the  tense situation, they allegedly attacked an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), and a police officer.
A 100 level  student of Forestry and Wildlife, Taiwo Abisoye, was said to have been hit by a canister fired by a policeman.
This  development was said to have angered  students forcing them to have set four vehicles on fire, several vehicles vandalized, a church building, Divine Heights Bible Church, at Kotopo area,
The entire camp area to Obantoko became tensed, but the deployment of more policemen, men of the Mobile Police Force and men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS), brought the situation under control.