National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given a
48-hour ultimatum to the Federal Government to fish out the killers of four
students of the University of Port Harcourt who were lynched and burnt to death
last week.
The slain students, identified as Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Toku,
Tekena Erikena and Chidiaka Biringa, were reportedly killed in Umuokiri-Aluu
community of Rivers State by some unidentified indigenes who accused them of
stealing.
Since the killings which sparked outrage across the country,
security operatives have intensified raids on the community, forcing many
residents to flee.
But yesterday, NANS condemned the killing (jungle justice
meted out to the students), describing it as “inhumane, barbaric and uncalled
for in all ramifications.”
In a statement by its National Public Relations Officer,
Comrade Clement Olusegun, the students’ body also bemoaned the failure of
President Goodluck Jonathan to comment on the incident and condole with the
families or relatives of the deceased students.
It called on the Federal Government and the Rivers State
government to bring perpetrators of the crime to book within the next 48 hours.
While condoling with the university management and students,
NANS disclosed that it had began consultation with human rights activists to
stage a peaceful protest over the killing of the “innocent students.”
Olusegun said: “The leadership of the National Association
of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemns outrightly the national address by our
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) today
Tuesday, 9th October without mentioning the distorted incident that
occurred in University of Port Harcourt in any part of (his) presidential
broadcast. Indeed, it’s a show of shame by the Federal Government for not
consoling the families or relatives of the students.
“Realising the fact that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all,’
we are using this medium to call on the Federal Government and the Rivers State
Government in bringing the perpetrators of this act to book without any further
delay or any form of defiance on the part of the government within the next 48
hours from today (yesterday).
“While we mourn the death of our brothers, we are equally
pleading with all concerned Nigerian students to remain calm as seven working
days mourning has been declared by the management of University of Port
Harcourt.”
Olusegun maintained that NANS would do everything possible
to agitate for the rights of Nigerian students in UNIPORT “if the government
and other relevant stakeholders involved can not meet up with our demand in the
next 48 hours.”
The Nigerian Compass
No comments:
Post a Comment