Students, on Friday, continued protests across the country over the lingering strike action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, trooped out in their numbers and blocked the Ijebu Ode/Ibadan express road.

Similarly, a mass of other students from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, went on a joint protest with counterparts in Ogun State, as organised under the banner of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ogun Joint Campus Committee. They blocked the Abeokuta-Ibadan express road, around Camp-FUNAAB Junction.

In Osun State, students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, led by 22-year-old Abraham Omowumi, popularly called Ewatee, resumed their second-day protest on the Ife-Ibadan Expressway, blocking the popular OUI roundabout at Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, with a lot of road users left stranded.

This was also as students were still protesting in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital where they moved from the University of Ibadan to Agbowo, Sango, Mokola, etc.

One of the protesters, a former President of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Soneye AbdulAzeez, said, “Vehicles going from Abeokuta to Ibadan are on standstill now. FUNAAB and Federal College of Education, Osiele, roads are on lockdown as well.

“We are resilient and making a statement, the Federal Government must listen to Nigerian Students.”

The National Public Relations Officer of the Fund Education Coalition, Joseph Aliu, who was spearheading the protest at Ago Iwoye, said, “It is saddening that after a series of talks, the Federal Government has failed to listen to the voice of reasoning.

“Since they’ve chosen to pay deaf ears to the cries of the striking lecturers, we have no other option but to take to the streets. We are here, we’re not stopping, here’s a fight to finish.”

The Students’ Union President, OOU, Akorede Afeez, in his comments, said, “It is an impediment to the societal growth and development of this nation in general that the students have been in their houses since February 14, 2022.

“The state government should rise to her responsibility to take charge of education and welfare of OOUiets. We are demanding the reopening of our classes. Education is our right, not a privilege.

Also, the Chairman of the Fund Education Coalition, Damilare Adenola, said, “We are protesting because we are clever enough to understand that the ongoing strike is a deliberate attempt by the government to kill public education so that politicians who own private universities can thrive, and we have concluded that for the sake of the poor masses, we are not going to fold our arms and watch public education die.

ASUU strike has entered its 88th day as the meeting between the lecturers and the government ended in deadlock on Thursday.

The Punch

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has met with Christian leaders and heads of security agencies in the state following the lynching of a student for allegedly making blasphemous comments.

The governor’s spokesman, Muhammad Bello, said in a statement that the governor cut his political engagements to return to Sokoto to meet the stakeholders.

The meeting was attended by the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Nuhu Iliya, and other officials of the association.

“Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state cut short his engagements in Abuja, the nation’s capital following the killing of Miss Deborah Samuel, a student of the College of Education, Sokoto; and returned to Sokoto where he held a closed-door meeting with heads of security agencies in the state as well as the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Fr. Nuhu Iliya at the Government House,” Mr Bello said.

He didn’t provide details of the discussion, however.

The Police in Kaduna State has confirmed the arrest of a serving councillor, recovering AK-47 with rounds of 7.62 X 39mm live ammunition from him in the Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Jalige, in Kaduna.

“Operatives of Operation Puff Adder II attached to the Kaduna Police Command, acting on the instruction of CP Yekini Ayoku, on May 9, at about 0800hrs, conducted routine patrol along Galadimawa road, Giwa LGA of Kaduna State.

“The operation, which was aimed at ensuring sanity in the connecting area, succeeded in intercepting a Lifan motorcycle, ridden by the suspect.

“Upon a search, a concealed AK47 rifle loaded with six rounds of 7.62 X 39mm live ammunitions were recovered from the sack and taken into custody alongside the suspect,” he said.

Preliminary investigation, he said, revealed the identity of the suspect as a serving member in the legislative council of the Soba LGA of Kaduna State.

“The suspect equally confessed to have gotten the firearm from his accomplices and he is to deliver same to bandits around Galadimawa village for their nefarious activities,” Jalige said.

“The Commissioner of Police appreciates the diligent and thoroughness exhibited by the officers and was miffed with the involvement of a supposed stakeholder,” he said.

The CP, Jalige said, has directed that a full scale investigation be carried out to ensure all those connected with the said crime were apprehended to face justice.

NAN