Afe Babalola University students went on rampage, destroy school property

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Afe Babalola University students went on rampage, destroy school property
By; Oladele Adedayo,Ado, Ekiti.
Property worth millions of naira were on Sunday night destroyed by Students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), who went on rampage over yet to be ascertained reason.
During the violent protest in the six year old varsity, the students broke into the two Cafeterias located at different places, the Owolabi Hall, the Talents Discovery Building, the College of Engineering, and destroyed property therein.
The violent protest, which forced students and staff to run for their lives, started at about 9.45 pm and lasted till 12.20 am, even when anti-riot Policemen were deployed by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etop James.
A Police truck and several Hilux vans loaded with anti-riot Policemen and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),were stationed on the campus with to quell any crisis that may re-occur.
The irate students smashed and overturned a Toyota Corolla Car and Toyota Highlander with registration numbers Ekiti ADK 327 AG and Lagos SR 684 BH, allegedly looted a sum of N10 million being the proceeds of sales kept in the Accountant’s office in one of the cafeterias.
While the rampaging students also beat up some porters at the female and male hostels, they also descended on the security at the gate and burnt eight motorcycles belonging to them.
Several cars parked within the university premises at different locations were smashed, while virtually all the edifices on campus had their slide doors either removed or broken.
When journalists visited the institution yesterday,the University’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Tunde Olofintila said the violent protest was carried out by academically deficient students, who were afraid of being expelled after the ongoing first semester examinations.
Olofintila said: “As it was in some public Universities, the skirmish was engineered and orchestrated by those who were not doing well academically and who are not prepared to improve on their academic performances.
“But rather than continue with examination, those with low academic grades, some of whom did not have clearance for the first semester and or did not register for the examination, went on rampage and in the process vandalized some property, the cost of which is being assessed”, he said.
Olofintila assured that the institution had decided to continue with examination, saying nothing will be allowed to alter the university’s calendar.
He said they are patiently awaiting the outcome of the Police report to be able to know the cause of the crisis and how to deal with those connected with it.
 
But some sources also blamed the Police for the crisis, saying some students had misunderstanding which later degenerated into exchange of verbal tirades.
The sources said poor management of the crisis after the Police arrived the campus caused its escalation and the colossal damage carried out in the university.
“Some students were having misunderstanding and it later degenerated and the management now called the Police. When they came they engage some of the students clad in Army Camouflage. They told him to surrender the uniform and he refused.
“At that point, Police shot into the air and the students dispersed. Having the impression that the gunshot was targeted at them, they later regrouped and started that full-blown protest leading to serious damage”

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