The Students Union Government (SUG) President of Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) Ekiti State, Comrade Oluwaseun Awodola, has narrated how police operatives allegedly killed two students protesting poor power supply in the town last Tuesday.
He demanded for justice, saying the students were unjustly killed and injured for merely protesting peacefully.
He spoke following a statement by wife of Ekiti Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who denied instructing police officers to shoot the students while returning from her empowerment programme, which coincided with the protest.
Oluwaseyi Kehinde, a 100- level student of Crop Science and Horticulture and Joseph Okonofua, a- 300 level student of biology education department have been confirmed dead following shooting allegedly by the policemen.
Other injured students are receiving treatment in the town.
Awodola claimed the peaceful demonstration turned violent after he was slapped by a police officer by a security detail attached to Mrs. Fayemi.
He said: “We held a peaceful demonstration which ended 1:40pm after granting a press conference at Aiyegbaju.
“All students present at the protest where discharged and they went to their various hostels peacefully.
“I was resting at my friend’s place when I received a call that some students had been arrested at Ikole campus and the students are been carried and transported to Oye community.
“I informed the Army Officer who was earlier with us at the concluded peaceful protest and he got in touch with the Divisional Police Officer Oye Ekiti who promised the students will be released once they arrive at Oye town”
“I was having severe pain in my muscles which was as a result of the early stress and trek during the peaceful demonstration, I told the DPO and Army Officer I needed to leave so as to rest and I left.”
He added: “Some minutes later, while I was resting, I was called by my personal assistant that the army officer requested for my presence.
“I came out and met the army officer who updated me that the CSO to the Governor requested to see me.
“I followed the army officer to meet the CSO to the Governor Ekiti. On reaching where the CSO was very close to the Civic Centre, the CSO, the army officer, some policemen were with me.
“When a CTU security officer in red uniform and black glasses came from behind the other officers of police and slapped me, right in the public. Right at the front of the officers and the army officer.
“The army officer and the CSO to the Governor immediately started begging and pleading.
“They apologised for the wrong action of the CTU official. Students at the scene and even indigenes were annoyed and raging before the situation was calmed.
“The CSO to the Governor apologised and went to the extent of saying he was ready to take me to the Governor’s office and ensure the CTU officer apologise.
“He also said we should meet with the governor’s wife but we were unable to meet with anyone as the students didn’t allow their leader to be taken away to meet anyone but kept requesting for the CTU officer.
“The CSO, the army officer, myself and some students went to a nearby shop close to the Civic Centre where the CSO apologised severally and everything died down. I rested my legs a little as I was still having muscle pull over.
“The CSO to governor requested I gave him some minutes as he left briefly. After a while I wasn’t feeling too good and I told the army officer who was still with me begging and apologising.
“I saw the CSO to the Governor holding the police who shot the gun and was trying to stop him from shooting. Within seconds other policemen were using tear gases as the CTU officers opened sporadically gunshots.
“The Army Officer was blaming himself saying if he hadn’t come to call me where I was sleeping the CTU Officer, there wouldn’t have been issues.
“After a while, I told the army officer I needed to take my leave to rest and he told me to tell the CSO to the Governor which I did. As I was taking my leave I heard the thundering sound of gun. On a glimpse, I saw the CSO”
“I wasn’t sure what was happening any longer as I saw stones flying from different corners and stray bullets and CTU Officers advancing towards the road and entered the streets.
“I had to run for safety as I couldn’t move well and I couldn’t move well and fast. Although, where I was heading wasn’t so far, in a few minutes I was indoors as I narrowly escaped different stray bullets by armed police and CTU officers.
“From the hostel I was, we could easily see the way policemen and Mopols as well as CTU officers were entering streets and shops chasing the students and shooting live bullets.
“I could figure out the reason why everything escalated was due to the reason why the riot started between the students, indigenes and Armed Forces was due to the first shooting by the police officer and CTU Officer.
“It wasn’t long we heard the shouting of students from nearby, listening closely we could hear them shouting a student has been killed.
“Someone who was in the hostel where I was at that moment came online on WhatsApp and the pictures and videos of the student was on the media.
“I managed to come out to take a glimpse but all we could see were policemen running and aiming at students, indigenes who were also fighting back at the police force.
“The shooting continued till late in the night. The following morning, students who were traveling to their various places, were beaten and punished.
“It was not until I called the Commissioner of Police and the school CSO that the harassment stopped.”