Riot: Group makes case for arraigned 50 FUNAAB students

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NIGERIA: CONCERNED professional Nigerians, who engage in discussions on the state of affairs in Nigeria and how to proffer solutions on social platform, have pleaded with government to be lenient with students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) who were dragged to court over last Thursday riot.

No fewer than 50 students were arraigned before an Isabo Magistrate Court in Abeokuta for alleged involvement in the violent protest where four vehicles were razed and several other properties, including a church building, were also vandalized.

The concerned professionals under their chat name, Penpushing, pleaded with the police command in the Gateway State to show mercy to the students who were docked on charges of conspiracy, arson and malicious damage.

Specifically, they urged the police not to criminalize their conduct, apparently due to the rationale behind their protest, which involved the demand for their safety and the protection of their lives and properties.

The students had protested after they complained of lack of security following incessant robbery attacks on their hotels, with one of them seriously injured in one of such raids recently.

At their appearance in court last Friday, the students were granted bail, but they were sent to detention following their inability to meet the bail conditions offered them by Magistrate Oriyomi Sofowora.

However, while offering comments on the riot, a former Commissioner in Ogun State, Deaconess Doyin Ogunbiyi, wanted the private hostels, which the armed robbers invaded, investigated by the authorities.

According to the three times commissioner, it was the frequent invasion of the hotels by bandits that led to the students’ protest.

“Who are the owners of these PRIVATE HOSTELS? Ogunbiyi wrote in her contribution on the platform, adding: “What security provision have they made on their property?  That students paid for?

“Why have they not spoken or confronted on the matter,” she stressed.

While pleading on behalf of the students, an engineer, Dideolu Falobi said: “We were all students once and I am sure one or some of us took part in one form of protest or the other during our university days when our blood was still hot.” “Demonstrations sometimes go out of hand, especially if the authorities and, or, the police are not sufficiently proactive.”

Falobi also said: “Many demonstrations destined for violence were brought under control by Alozie Ogbugbuaja in my Akoka days.  Professor Akin Adesola as VC of Unilag used to follow us to the gate of UNILAG and he used to rally his lecturers and Principal staff to ensure demonstrations do not turn violent and are not hijacked by touts and hoodlums who usually join students as soon as such demonstrations move out of the campus.”

He, however, counseled the police to open dialogue with leaders of NANS and students’ union bodies within their jurisdiction on the use of police protection during peaceful protests.

According to him, such protection should not be unreasonably withheld, while further stressing that communication and building of mutual confidence between the police and students, on one hand, and the students and the university authorities are essential ingredients for peace to reign on campuses.

Falobi maintained: “Once again, please do not criminalise the students, counsel them, if possible, make their parents pay for the damages they caused, but do not destroy their education.”

But, in his contribution, a legal practitioner, Kayode Akinsola, noted that the policemen had criminalised the protest already.

Akinsola reasoned that his stand was informed by the fact that most of the protesting students, particularly the arrested ones, had been arraigned in court and granted bail.

His words: “Though, most of them were unable to perfect the conditions, hence they are all still in prison.”

While submitting that ‎the police cannot sustain the charges levelled against the students, Akinsola said that “however, writing a letter to court through the prosecutor of the court will enable the court to strike out the case against them.”

The lawyer said that he was prepared to use his good offices to achieve this, and could urge two lawyers from his chamber to synergize with the police authorities.

While adding his view, a university administrator, Lasun Somoye, who said he agreed with prior submissions, praised the police for containing the riot.

Somoye, however, stressed that he disagreed with the prosecution that would lead to criminalizing the protest, particularly with the arrest of some innocent students.

“More dialogues between stakeholders and Police will help in this circumstance,” he said, adding: “The current process leads to nowhere other than more agitation from students, escalation of unrest and police engagement of which consequence could be unpredictable.”

Somoye, a former local government Director of Information, further said: “Dialogue can still do the magic.  Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, himself has severally attested to the age long peaceful conducts of FUNAAB students.”

Soji Ganzallo, who also contributed, praised the submissions from members on the platform, while stressing that “we are parents now and need to counsel our children and wards.”

He emphasised that FUNAAB has been a very peaceful student environment over the years.

Ganzallo who gave kudos to the management and student union government, declared: “However, this is situation we must resolve; their security is important to us and we must work on it while they don’t have to be destructive in their quest for justice.”

“I appreciate the way the unrest has been handled,” he said, adding: “God bless you all.”