Ibadan clash: Woman, student shot by police battle for to live

The clash between students of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Moor Plantation, Ibadan and the Oyo State Police Command on Monday, has left two staff of the institution in critical condition at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

Although the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, denied that any of his men shot at the protesting students or staff, a visit to the UCH yesterday showed that a worker with the Crop Production Unit of the Oyo Institute, Mrs Helen Adekanmi, and an Industrial Training student, Miss Kobaju Busayo, ‎were receiving treatment at the hospital due to gunshot injuries sustained during the Monday clash.

The crisis, which caused a riot and gridlock for hours, affected the College of Agriculture, the Research Institute, and Federal College of Animal Health and Technology, which all shared same premises at the Moor Plantation area of Apata.

The students were protesting the ‎alleged high-handedness of the Provost of the College, Dr. Babajide Adelekan, resulting in series of strikes and disruption of lectures.

Our correspondent learnt from the hospital that a bullet, fired by the police, hit Adekanmi‎ in the stomach. She was admitted at the South West 1 Ward of the UCH where she is recuperating after a hurried surgery. ‎

Busayo, is at the Emergency Care Unit of the UCH. She was reportedly also hit by police bullet, which pierced through her left thigh.

The Public Relations Officer of the institute, Mr Adeniyi Hamzat, said that two vehicles belonging to lecturers of FCA were also vandalised, just as the students claimed eight of them were injured, while denying the police report that eight police vans were damaged and four ‎ policemen were injured.

One of the students, Oladeji said: “The protest was peaceful until police attacked us.‎ the protest started around 6 am, while we were creating awareness on what we have been facing for the past three months. The institution has been practically closed during the period. Around 9 am, policemen from Apata Division came and we expressed our mind to them.

“Thirty minutes after, they came back with guns and tear gas. They shot at us and we ran back into the institution and shut the gates. Ten minutes later, they returned with Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), which they drove round the school. They started attacking us with planks, axes and guns.”

Oladeji added: “They came with three vans and none was vandalised. No policeman was injured. We took some of our colleagues that were injured to a hospital at Oluyole Estate; they were rejected. The Commissioner of Police in the state knows about our problem. He had met us and the school management on the issue. We are law abiding citizens. We do not have ammunition. They attacked us first and we have video evidence. We did not throw stones at the police. They entered the school and beat us up.”

Although the students denied using weapons or firearm to attack the policemen, Odude insisted that some of the students possessed firearms, including an axe. He said the axe was recovered from the student. He also said that the students hurled stones at his men. He declared that his men used force to push the student back into their school compound.