Students of Ogun State origin yesterday trooped to the streets to protest against the death of an ND1 Public Administration student of the Gateway Polytechnic, Aiyepe Annex, crushed by a “hit-and-run” driver in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state.
The protesters, who organised themselves under the aegis of the Joint Campus Committee of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS-JCC), Ogun Axis, the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), and the Progressive Students Movement (PSM), also carried big banners and placards bearing different inscriptions demanding a thorough investigation into Pelumi’s death.
They, however, converged at the main entrance of the headquarters of the state Police Command, Eleweran, Abeokuta, where they had gone to submit a petition to the state commissioner of police, Abiodun Alamutu, over the killing of their colleague identified as Idowu Pelumi David.
The deceased, along with the commercial motorcyclist, were crushed to death by a hit-and-run driver in front of the camp of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) and allegedly escaped into the Corps’ camp along Ayepe-Sagumu last week Monday.
The protest, which lasted about 10 minutes before police operatives could calm the nerves of the students, brought vehicular movement on the ever-busy Abeokuta – Ibadan highway to a complete halt as the agitating students chanted aluta songs in memory of their departed colleague allegedly killed by one of the officials of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) “later identified as Ojo Aina”.
Speaking with the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in charge of Operations, AC Manager Fergus, who received the protesting students, NANS’ state chairman, Francis Adeyanju, said the students resolved to take their protest to the doorstep of the CP for him to assist them at instigating an unbiased investigation into the death of their colleague.
In the petition submitted to the commissioner of police, Alamutu, the student’s body accused the Ogun State Coordinator of NYSC, Diana Nasamu of shielding the NYSC’s official fingered in the death of Pelumi and the commercial motorcyclist away from justice.
Addressing the protesters however, AC Fergus said the police had already commenced investigation into the death of the student.
He assured the students of justice and urged them to remain peaceful while expressing their grievances so that hoodlums would not hijack the situation to wreak havoc in the state.
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