The National Association of Nigerian Students on Friday declared seven-day mourning for five of its officers who
lost their lives to a road accident on Thursday.
The mourning period will commence from Monday next week, said the president of the Association, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo. The senate president of the Association, Mr. Donald Onukaogu, and four others died at Ariam-Ndioru Junction on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, on their way to Uyo on an official mission on Thursday. Four of the victims died on the spot, while another died on the way to a hospital.
The accident involved a truck and a mini-bus belonging to the student body. According to Gbadebo, the student leaders were on their way to the University of Uyo to intervene in a crisis situation currently brewing at the institution.
Gbadebo said that he was to be part of the contingent to Uyo but had to step down in order to attend another official assignment. He said that the union would work in conjunction with the families of the dead officers for their burial, since they died in the course of duty. Gbadebo regretted that more than 25 Nigerian students had lost their lives this year to unrest in higher institutions of learning. Students of the University of Uyo on Wednesday staged a protest against payment of N2000 as ‘GST’ fees.
The students claim the fees were newly introduced. The students also protested an increase in the inter-campus transport fare from N50 to N200, alongside a protest over poor power and portable water supply on campus. Poor sanitation of the living environment of the students is also an issue.
They also called for the removal of the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, before the protesting students got violent, throwing stones and bottles at policemen who attempted to fire teargas at them to forestall breakdown of law and order. Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Gwadabe, confirmed the death of a student to the crisis. He disputed the claim that three students died.
No less than 45 students were arrested during the skirmish, which saw the offices of the vice-chancellor and the deputy vice-chancellor burned down.