Police Disperse Protesting LASU Students with Teargas, Gun Shots

June 10, 2014 – Heavily armed policemen led by Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad(RRS), Mr. Hakeem Odumosu today led his men to disperse hundreds of students of Lagos State University, LASU, who stormed Alausa, the seat of government for another round of protest.

The policemen dispersed the students with gunshot and tear and in the process injuring three students.

The students had stormed the area with three BRT buses and occupied the entrance leading to Governor Babatunde Fashola’s Office even when it was barricaded by policemen attached to RRS.

The students sang and chanted anti-Fashola songs for several minutes when the police swooped on them on the order of the RRS Commander.

The policemen shot sporadically into the air and released teargas right in front of the Governor’s office, an action that led the students to take their heels.

The policemen chased the students unto the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway until they hurried crossed the expressway and pitched their tent at the Magodo Gate, as others who ran in different direction came to join them at the Gate.
Two students and the driver of one of the BRT buses were arrested by the police and the bus impounded by the police.

Police officers with guns were seen searching for LASU students to arrest. The road leading to the governor’s office from the Lagos State House of Assembly was barricaded by police vans.

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President, LASU Students Union, Yusuf Nurudeen told reporters at Magodo Gate, Ketu, Lagos that they had visited to register their displeasure over delay in announcing new fees for students of the institution.

“We also learnt that the government will be meeting with the Governing Council of the school today and that is why we came. We beat the barricade set up by the police and we were singing peacefully at the entrance of the governor’s office when we saw policemen.

“They shot at us, teargas us, shot live bullets at us right in front o the governor’s office. It is sad that they shot at us. We came to hear the announcement of the reduction in school fees. The police cannot do this without the order of the governor,” he said.

According to him, about three students were injured and had been rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, while two others were arrested, saying that “they pursued us from the governor’s office to Magodo Gate. We will continue to protest.”

However, Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Aderemi Ibirogba said the State Executive Council was yet to conclude on the school fees issue, saying that by tomorrow (Wednesday).