Policemen Dispersed UNILAG Students Protesting Fees Hike

Armed policemen have dispersed a group of students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) protesting the hike in the fees of the institution.

The university recently hike the fees payable by students in the institution by 400 per cent. The policemen fired tear gas canister at the protesting students.

Some leaders of the national association of Nigerian students were arrested by the police. The students carrying various placards, had converged at the gate of the institution for the protests.

Admission seekers, who wanted to get into the campus for the screening process and other visitors, were turned back by security men, who locked the gate.

After the protesting students, who were coming from the Sabo area of Yaba to the campus, were dispersed by the policemen, who fired teargas canisters at them, they later regrouped and moved towards the gate.

They were prevented from moving closer by the policemen, who cordoned off the area.
Speaking on behalf of the students, the President-elect of the Faculty of Education Students Association, Balogun Ibrahim, accused the Area Commander, whose name he gave as ACP Ayodeji A. of ordering his men to shoot at them and also arresting some of their colleagues.

Read Also:

Police Begin Clampdown on Motorcyclists Wearing Tinted Reflective Helmets

Balogun said: “When the new fee regime was announced, we met with the management of the university led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, and she said she would call us back for another meeting. That was on August 2, 2023. To date, nothing has been heard from her end. Instead of the reduction in the fees that we are expecting, the management only said they are giving us the opportunity to pay the fees twice.

“We have received a lot of bashing from our colleagues. With the current economic situation in the country, how many parents are able to afford the huge fee?

“Let the management do their findings, we can tell you authoritatively that less than 20 per cent of the students have been able to pay part of their fees. As student leaders and in the spirit of being our brothers’ keepers, we have resorted to crowdfunding for some of our colleagues, who are in dire conditions. But how many students can we do that for?

“The management said they have made arrangements for alumni to adopt indigent students and sponsor them, how many students have been adopted? We are not here to fight anybody, but we are here to let the people know our feelings.

“People, who enjoyed free education, bursary awards and even scholarships locally and internationally, are now denying others the right to education.

“Many students may drop out if the situation is not redressed. We are also not happy with the Police Area Commander here who ordered his men to shoot at us and also arrested two of our colleagues. We are demanding the immediate release of those guys.”