Crisis erupted in Osun State, yesterday, following a protest by students of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) over alleged police excesses and shooting of two students of the university.
The affected students, Adesola Kazeem, 300-level and Ajao Ibrahim, 400-level in the Electronics Department were receiving treatment at the Emergency Unit of the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, yesterday, when visited.
It was gathered that pandemonium ensued in Oke-Baale area of Osogbo Local Government, when the students took over the streets to protest alleged crack down on some of their colleagues by policemen, who, they said, were looking for some students allegedly notorious for Internet fraud, otherwise known as “Yahoo Yahoo boys.” “Some policemen came this morning as they usually do in unmarked vehicles to our residence at Oke-Baale, where some students were playing football. Suddenly, they started shooting, and fracas ensued with two of the students hit by bullets,” a student said.
They claimed the policemen came to harass the students for monetary gratification, saying it was not their first time. It was gathered that before this latest fracas, some students had gone to lodge complaints at the State Criminal Investigation Department, but were told that the policemen could not be identified.
During the protest, which lasted several hours, the students walked through some major roads in Osogbo, the state capital disrupting vehicular movement, while socio-economic activities were also halted.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, who was at the hospital, said he was there to ensure the students received prompt treatment. He explained that investigation into the matter had commenced. He said: “I cannot confirmed that the injury was as a result of gunshots, as I have not seen them. Only the experts can confirm that.”
TheGuardianNg