VC escapes death, seven injured as police, students clash

Juliana Francis

The Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Ojoo, (LASU) and his Personal Assistant, yesterday (today) narrowly escaped being lynched alive by angry students, protesting the shutting down of the registration portal when they had not finished registration of their courses.

Seven students were also injured by the police, while two among them is presently at the Ikeja General Hospital, on oxygen masks, battling to stay alive.

According to one of the police sources which rushed the students to the hospital, the two students who were on Oxygen masks, had been described by doctors as being ‘on danger list.’

The students were said to have been injured after the police responded to the VC’s distress calls and had rushed to the school in an attempt to save the VC and his PA.

The clash started in the early hours of the morning, after some of the students who had not registered their courses discovered that others were writing exams.

At about 5pm today, (Thursday), the area was crawling with anti-riot policemen. There were also on the scene 30 Rapid Response Vans and two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

A circular had been immediately distributed by the school management, shutting down the school indefinitely.

According to an eye witness account, the students and police clashed after the police tried to snatch the VC from the students.

One of the students, identified as Adeyerin Adijat who was part of those injured and received treatment at the school’s health centre, insisted that the policemen fired canisters of tear gas on the protesting students.

The Area E Commander, in charge of the Ojoo area, ACP Dan Okoro, however denied that his men touched the students. According to him, the students sustained severe injuries while using their bare hands to broke window louvers to the VC’s office and windscreen of the VC and PA’s cars.

Another eye witness said that the trouble started on Wednesday after students discovered that the registration portal had closed and they would not be able to partake in the school’s examination, which started today, Thursday.

The witness said: “The students had paid the exorbitant school fees, but many had not registered their courses. Many of them went to plead with the VC on Wednesday and went back there today. One of the students prostrated on the ground, holding unto the VC and begging him to reconsider them. The man just kicked him, fueling the anger of other students. They attacked the VC and PA. They damaged his office and his car.”

It was gathered that one of the students’ head was smashed in the mayhem. This particular student is among the duo said to be on danger list.

Five among the seven injured students were treated at the school health centre and allowed to go home, while the two on danger list were taken to Ikeja General Hospital.

The students were said to have been confronted by policemen from Ojo, Okoko, and Ajagbadi Police Stations.