The police in Lagos on Tuesday arrested about 200 students of the Lagos State University, Ojo, for organising a street protest.

A large number of the students had on Tuesday barricaded Ikorodu road, protesting the continued closure of the institution.

The protest, which brought traffic on the expressway to a standstill, lasted for about three hours.

The students had converged on Ojuelegba in the early hours of the day before moving to Onipanu and Maryland areas, in continuation of the protest.

The students after lodging their complaint at Channels Television in Maryland and some other media houses proceeded to the Governor’s Office in Alausa, to formally lay their grievances before Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The students, who chanted anti-LASU songs, carried various placards with inscriptions such as, “Eko ti baje,” “Education is our right,” “LASU must rise again,” “Emergency in LASU.”

A detachment of police men from Alade Division in Onipanu, led by a superintendent, monitored the protest, to ensure thatit was not hijacked by hoodlums.

The police rode in a Hilux patrol van with registration No. BU 280 AKD.

The Vice-President of the students’ union, Mr. Taiwo Oluwafemi, who led the protest, demanded the immediate re-opening of the institution.

He said, “We have been at home for six months and the Lagos State Government is not paying attention to the crisis.

“We are tired of staying at home; many of our female colleagues are now pregnant.

“We want to complete our examinations so that final year students can go for the national youth service early next year.”

Oluwafemi expressed worry that the outcome of a public hearing on the LASU crisis by the House of Assembly held over a month ago had not been made public.

He said, “We are not saying that the government should sack the vice-chancellor but all we want is the reopening of the school.”

A lecturer, who declined to be named, said the students took to the streets because of the state government’s insensitivity.

He said, “The students are doing this becausethe government has decided to plasy on their patience.

The lecturer wondered why Fashola had not spoken up on the situation in LASU, even though the Federal Government had resolved the crisis in public universities.

The deputy spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Chris Nwaolai, confirmed that some students were arrested during th protest.

He said, “Yes, some of them were arrested but I don’t know their number now. But those arrested have been released after they were made to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour.”

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luvola:

fashola is a failure

luvola:

He said, “We have been at home for six months and the Lagos State Government is not paying attention to the crisis.
“We are tired of staying at home; many of our female colleagues are now pregnant.
“We want to complete our examinations so that final year students can go for the national youth service early next year.”

luvola:

 We are tired of staying at home; many of our female colleagues are now pregnant.

luvola:

fashola is a failure

luvola:

sixth month old crisis and d governor remain dumb ,so d student has to tak der destiny into der own hand. other sch had already finish der exam ,so u want d stu to remain dumb as d governor ? @ qur

luvola:

@ nethacker - i wouldnt shut because d dumb governor is playing wit over 70,000 students both full/part time , 6months strike is unbearable and sug cant remain silent and allow some entity to play wit der future,