Mayhem In UI As Students Protest Colleague’s Death
Students of the University of Ibadan on Thursday locked the institution’s gate and closed down a major road while protesting the death of a 200 Level student of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Mayowa Alaran.
Alaran was said to have collapsed while watching the UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich at the common room of Independent Hall on Wednesday night.
After attempts by his colleagues failed to revive him at the scene, he was reportedly rushed to the school health centre, popularly called Jaja, where he eventually died.
The students anger was said to have risen as a result of the failure of the hospital’s ambulance to arrive early.
Alaran was alleged to be an asthma sufferer.
The protesting students blocked the Sango-Ojoo Road, causing huge traffic along the route and the environs.
Two police vans were stationed in front of the school but they did not stop the students from showing their displeasure with the death of their colleague.The students refused to allow journalists to use camera or record the protests as they also attacked those who used their mobile telephones to record their protest.Mr. Sola Adeyemo of the New Telegraph Newspaper was beaten by the students while his blackberry Z3 mobile telephone was taken from him as he attempted to record an official of the school who addressed the students.
The journalist’s clothes were shredded before the police came to his rescue.
Reacting to the protest, the UI Registrar, Mr. Olujimi Olukoya, said the rampaging students outside the school gate were not from UI. He claimed that the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had addressed the authentic students inside the school on the matter.
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