Armed security operatives comprising the Army, police, DSS and Civil Defence Corps on Monday clamped down on students protesting the prolonged closure of all state-owned tertiary institutions in Kogi State.
The students had gathered at the popular NATACO junction on the ever busy Abuja-Lokoja-Abuja road as early as 7:00am and blocked the highway to protest over the nearly three-month-old strike action embarked upon by their lecturers.
The protesting students carried placards with inscriptions such as: “We are tired of staying at home, “2015 and 2016 students have missed the first batch of NYSC mobilization” and “Please re-open our institutions”, amongst
others.
Our correspondent reports that the security operatives who were stationed in the area, beat up some of the students with horsewhip and arrested few others in their bid to disperse the protesters.
We observed heavy security presence at strategic locations within the Lokoja metropolis.
When contacted, Spokesman of the Kogi Police Command, Mr Williams Ayah confirmed that the protesting students were dispersed for obstructing a major highway and that three of the protesters were arrested in the process.
Ayah, who denied any act of molestation on the students by security agents, explained that those arrested were being screened to ascertain if they are students.
Credits: Itodo Daniel Sule | Daily Trust
