Emmanuel OchayiIn a dramatic turn of events, a detachment of officers from the Lagos State Police Command has forcefully dispersed a gathering of students who had converged on the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus to protest against a recent fee hike.
The police resorted to firing teargas to disperse the passionate demonstrators, leading to a tense showdown.
The student protest was led by a dedicated solidarity group opposing the fee increase, in partnership with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Their primary grievance centers around the exorbitant rise in tuition fees at UNILAG, with university management citing “prevailing economic realities” as the driving force behind this controversial decision.
READ ALSO: UNILAG Management Warns Students Against Proposed Protest
As the students gathered on campus, they brandished placards bearing a myriad of inscriptions and raised their voices in fervent anti-government songs, demanding an end to the fee hike. The passion and intensity of the protest were palpable.
The situation took a concerning turn when police officers apprehended and detained four protesters, including prominent activists Femi Adeyeye and Philip Olatinwo.
Their arrest has triggered outrage among various quarters, including political figures.
Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, took to Twitter to condemn the arrests.
He called for the immediate release of the detained activists and criticized both UNILAG’s management and the police force, asserting that such actions would not deter the resistance against the newly imposed school fees.
“The VC must know that these cowardly acts cannot stop the resistance against the newly introduced school fees.”
The events at UNILAG reflect a broader issue of rising education costs in Nigeria and the determination of students to assert their rights in the face of economic challenges.
As tensions simmer and more details emerge, Prime Business Africa watches closely to see how this passionate student uprising unfolds.
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