Praises as Sanwo-Olu evacuates Lagos students from UNIJOS

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, successfully evacuated a three-week-old baby, the mother and undergraduate students of Lagos extraction from the University of Jos (UNIJOS), following the recent attacks and killings in Plateau State.

The first set of evacuees, comprising 64 UNIJOS students and the three-week-old-baby, named Daniella, arrived Lagos yesterday afternoon and met with Governor Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, before being released to their families.

The students, who were accompanied by security personnel and government officials, arrived at Alausa at 1:56pm with their belongings in a luxury bus and other vehicles after long hours of journey from Jos to Lagos.

The students who were so excited to be evacuated from the crisis-hit Jos and other parts of Plateau State currently experiencing violence and killings, sang praises and thanked Sanwo-Olu and top officials of the Lagos State government for rescuing them from what they described as ‘war zone.’

While receiving the students, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the evacuation showed that Lagos State government had the capacity to respond to any emergency when it concerns its people, especially the youth.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said welfare packages had been arranged for the students to return to their families safe and sound.

Sanwo-Olu, who thanked God that no student from Lagos lost his life in the attacks and during the rescue operation, urged them to observe COVID-19 safety protocols and not to lose touch with their studies, as they returned to Lagos.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Kasali Adeniran, said the evacuation was another landmark response by the Sanwo-Olu administration.

A 200-level student of the Department of Religion and Philosophy of UNIJOS, Clinton Shotikare, who responded on behalf of other evacuees, thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for coming to their rescue.

“On behalf of other students, I am saying a big thank you to the Lagos State government, especially the governor. We appreciate the governor and the government for evacuating us from Plateau State. We feel happy, honoured, grateful and safe. We feel the impact of government,” he said.

Shotikare, who said they had been experiencing tense situations and sleepless nights since the beginning of the Plateau State crisis, urged Lagos State Government not to relent on its efforts to rescue other Lagosians, especially students who are still stranded in the university.

A student in the Department of Pharmacy, Edward Christiana, also appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu for evacuating the students from Jos.