The agricultural farm of the
University of Ado Ekiti was
yesterday looted. About 3,500
birds, 120 crates of eggs, 10
goats, 75 sheep, 25 rabbits,
30 pigs were carted away by
students protesting the
crushing to death of one of
them by a hit and run driver.
They also torched the
institution’s Information and
Communication Technology
(ICT) Centre and set ablaze at
least five vehicles and several
buildings in the town.
The university authorities said
the losses might be more and
immediately shut down the
institution.
Abiola Teslim Yusuf, a final
year student died on
Wednesday night of injuries
he received after being run
over by a vehicle close to
Osekita Hostel, an off-campus
students hostel in the town.
The protesting students,
about 150, launched out of
their rooms early yesterday at
the start of what was
supposed to be a peaceful
protest.
However, the protest soon
took a twist when the burning
and looting started.
The police spokesman in the
state, Mr Victor Babayemi,
said seven of the students
who allegedly partook in the
looting and vandalism have
been arrested and a search
for the fleeing driver
commenced.
The Vice Chancellor of the
University, Professor Oladipo
Patrick Aina, condemned “the
most barbaric conduct
displayed by supposedly
cultured youngsters.”
He told reporters that
investigation would soon
commence into the incident
and the culprits brought to
book.
He said the action of the
students was capable of
jeopardising the on-going
infrastructural development in
the institution.
Announcing the immediate
and indefinite closure of the
institution, Aina said the
management, working in
concert with internal security
officials, would assess the
level of damage to buildings
and other properties, as well
as uncover the extent of the
involvement of students and
staff.
Prof Aina was disappointed at
the failure of the police to
respond to the institution’s
distress call before the protest
got out of hand.
He said: “I had called the
Police authority at about 7am
on Friday to inform them
when I got a security report
that the students were
mobilising for protest over the
death of their colleague only
for them to come well after
the damage had been done.”
The police denied the
allegation with their
spokesman, Victor Babayemi,
saying they acted promptly.
The VC said he personally
supervised the transfer of the
accident victim to the Ikere
Ekiti Specialists Hospital for
medical attention immediately
after the mishap.
He said: “When we realised
that his condition was not
stable the way we expected,
we moved him down to the
Intensive Care Unit of the
Ekiti State University
Teaching Hospital. But on
Friday, it was confirmed that
he had to be operated upon by
experts because he sustained
serious head injury and this
forced us to take him to the
Lagos University Teaching
Hospital (LUTH).
“The student died in Ibadan
while being taken to LUTH on
Friday. These are our efforts
to ensure that he survived
even when we have not asked
about who was responsible for
the student’s death.
“I even went to Osekita Hostel
on Friday shortly before the
incident and spoke with the
students, but it was shocking
and amazing that they had to
take to such act after all our
efforts. To us, this is
unjustifiable action that will
be thoroughly investigated.”