From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A protest on Monday by students of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, against a planned hike in their tuition fee turned bloody as one person was allegedly killed and another injured by security operatives.
The Provost of the College, Prof Alexander Kure, confirmed the incident.
‘The incident happened on the highway and not inside the school. I was told by the security that one student was killed and another injured.
‘I offered an ambulance to take the corpse to the mortuary, and the other person that got injured to the hospital for treatment,’ the provost said.
Kure said the school was shut on Sunday for mid semester break, noting that he was not aware of the reason for the students’ protest.
‘The school was shut down yesterday for mid semester break and students are to resume next Monday.
‘I don’t know why they were protesting. The school was closed and we heard there was a protest on the road, and I am not privy to happenings outside the school,’ he added
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the security operatives fired shots to disperse the protesting students following a confrontation after they tried to force their way into the school.
He said the students also blocked the highway in front of the school thereby preventing free flow of traffic.
According to him, a meeting with the leadership of the students was scheduled to take place today when the incident occurred.
He noted that the protesters blocked Gidan-Waya/Kafanchan road which caused grid locks in the area.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai 21 days to pacify Nigerian students on the increase in school fees ahead of its National congress slated for July 19.
National President NANS Sunday Asefon said all organs and sister bodies of NANS nationwide have been put on alert to relocate to Kaduna State to further ascertain the cooperation and adherence to its demands by the government of the state.
He said that the governor, “should be ready to kill as many of us as he can through thugs and security and also build enough jail within the 21days that can accommodate thousands of Nigerian students”.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, the NANS president said: ‘The National congress meeting will hold in Kaduna on 19th July, 2021. All organ and sister bodies of NANS nationwide are by this resolution put on alert to relocate to Kaduna State to this important national congress to further ascertain the cooperation and adherence to our demands by the government of Kaduna State.
‘That the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, should consider this window period of 21 days’ notice of national congress as enough window to pacify Nigerian students or be ready to kill as many of us as he can through thugs and security and also build enough jail within the 21 days that can accommodate thousands of Nigerian students.
‘While we pray for the prosperity of Kaduna State, we will not be threatened or intimidated to close our eyes to these evil policies and the fragrant display of tyranny against our students and members as injury to one is an injury to all.’
He added that NANS rejected in totality the recent spate of 1000% increment of schools fees and other related fees in state-owned tertiary institutions in Kaduna State saying, ‘we consider such increment at this time as insensitive, unreasonable, and unrealistic.’