Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Commercial activities were today paralysed in some parts of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital as policemen trooped out to stop protesting students from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, from disrupting the presentation by Governor Ibikunle Amosun of buses to the Students Union Government of the 13 tertiary institutions in the State.
The students in thousands, were dispersed with teargas while they were trying to block the road at Kuto Roundabout.
They were later chased to the secretariat of the local chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, where the police continue to fire teargas and gun shots. Several shops within the premises were vandalised. Most hit was Stepping Stones Communication.
Our correspondent,who escaped by whiskers alongside other colleagues, reported that the police stormed the journalists enclave shooting sporadically while teargas was thrown at many people including motorists and traders within the premises.
Traders at the Kuto Market also had a taste of the bedlam as the students ran there for cover, with policemen on their tails. Some traders who did not give the students some collaboration were attacked by the students.
The protest, this morning commenced from Revd. Kuti Memorial School, where the students, who began their protests on Thursday had slept overnight.
President of the students union, Olusegun Ifade, along with other leader, met this morning with the State Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye and the Director of the State Security Services at the SSS office in Abeokuta.
Comrade Folarin Hakeem,State Chairman of the Committee on Defence Human Right, CDHR,who was part of the meeting, revealed that the demands of the OOU students were presented and they advised them to maintain peace as their issues will be presented to the governor.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun was also scheduled to meet the students before going out to present 13 buses bought for the SUGs in 13 institutions in the state.