The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Thursday
expressed happiness over the unconditional release of 13 students of
University of Lagos from detention at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
The
students were freed before the expiration of 24 hour ultimatum given
to a Special Offences Mobile Court in Lagos by NANS to give them
freedom, failing which it oiled relocate to the Kirikiri Prisons.
A statement issued by the President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi, while commending the gesture said a major crisis was averted.
He
said, "Our joy stems mainly from the fact that the gesture from the
special court averted what would have undoubtedly sparked off a major
students unrest in the country because we were greatly pained that such a
harsh punishment would be handed to long-suffering students at a time
of immense socio-economic challenges.
"Above
all, even though the current leadership of NANS believes in the
superior logic of dialogue to violence as basis of settling disputes, we
saw the backdoor incarceration of the 13 students, whether rusticated
or not, as an affront against Nigerian students.
"It
was therefore with pain that we started mobilizing to carry out our
threat of relocating to the Kirikikiri maximum security in anticipation
that the authorities would rebuff our ultimatum.
We
therefore use this opportunity to commend Magisterate P. E. Nwaka and
the Special Offences Mobile Court for the wisdom and circumspection
displayed in the matter, and urge the police authorities to always treat
university undergraduates with care and caution, knowing the
treacherous economic and social conditions they go through.
"Being
malleable, students are amenable to moral suasion and show of
understanding; it is this empathy that should serve as the master key to
law enforcement agents for peaceable settlement of misunderstanding
involving students.
"Attempts
to deny students their right of free speech or treat their peaceful
protest against high handed policies usually lead to needless violence
and destruction of property, which in the end takes heavy tolls on the
economy with students nearing greater brunt.
"We
use this opportunity to also call on the Federal Government to take
issues of students welfare serious, including infrastructural decay,
poor social amenities in various campuses, while we call on President
Muhammadu Buhari to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the nation’s
tertiary institutions."
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Thursday
expressed happiness over the unconditional release of 13 students of
University of Lagos from detention at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
The
students were freed before the expiration of 24 hour ultimatum given
to a Special Offences Mobile Court in Lagos by NANS to give them
freedom, failing which it oiled relocate to the Kirikiri Prisons.
A statement issued by the President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi, while commending the gesture said a major crisis was averted.
He
said, "Our joy stems mainly from the fact that the gesture from the
special court averted what would have undoubtedly sparked off a major
students unrest in the country because we were greatly pained that such a
harsh punishment would be handed to long-suffering students at a time
of immense socio-economic challenges.
"Above
all, even though the current leadership of NANS believes in the
superior logic of dialogue to violence as basis of settling disputes, we
saw the backdoor incarceration of the 13 students, whether rusticated
or not, as an affront against Nigerian students.
"It
was therefore with pain that we started mobilizing to carry out our
threat of relocating to the Kirikikiri maximum security in anticipation
that the authorities would rebuff our ultimatum.
We
therefore use this opportunity to commend Magisterate P. E. Nwaka and
the Special Offences Mobile Court for the wisdom and circumspection
displayed in the matter, and urge the police authorities to always treat
university undergraduates with care and caution, knowing the
treacherous economic and social conditions they go through.
"Being
malleable, students are amenable to moral suasion and show of
understanding; it is this empathy that should serve as the master key to
law enforcement agents for peaceable settlement of misunderstanding
involving students.
"Attempts
to deny students their right of free speech or treat their peaceful
protest against high handed policies usually lead to needless violence
and destruction of property, which in the end takes heavy tolls on the
economy with students nearing greater brunt.
"We
use this opportunity to also call on the Federal Government to take
issues of students welfare serious, including infrastructural decay,
poor social amenities in various campuses, while we call on President
Muhammadu Buhari to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the nation’s
tertiary institutions."
No comments:
Post a Comment