Protesting students deny attack on Ogun deputy gov

Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, yesterday, escaped an attack allegedly by representatives of student bodies during a protest in Abeokuta.
Salako-Oyedele was on her way to 35 Artillery Brigade, Alabama, Abeokuta, to represent Governor Dapo Abiodun at a ceremony organised to mark the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day when her convoy met the protesting students.

The demonstration, which began from the school gate of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, was to end at the Governor’s office in Oke-Mosan. MAPOLY students had, on Monday, protested the pending results for graduated students, delay in NYSC mobilisation and increment in tuition fees.

Following this, the management of the institution shut down the school till further notice and on Tuesday dissolved the student union executives.

However the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Ogun JCC, Adeyanju Francis, frowned on the development, saying that the student body would, on Wednesday, protest against the institution’s action.

According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the protesting students, who were allegedly armed with sticks and other dangerous objects. became restive immediately they saw the deputy governors’ convoy.

When contacted, the NANS Ogun JCC Chairman, Francis, denied the allegation, saying the policemen attached to the convoy shot at the students first. Francis said: “None of our students attacked her, we were coming peacefully. We converged this morning at MAPOLY to express our grievances to the Ogun State Government and on our way going to Oke Mosan, we were accosted by the entourage of the deputy governor.

“At first, we thought she was sent from Oke-Mosan to engage the student constituency not until the policemen attached to her started shooting at students.

“We even took three out of the bullets they shot at us at OPIC on our way to Iwe Iroyin.”