I didn’t order my aides to shoot FUOYE students -Mrs Fayemi
Admin l Friday, September 13, 2019
OYE, Ekiti, Nigeria – Comrade Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, a British-Nigerian activist, writer and policy advocate is the wife of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State. Dr. Kayode Feyemi is also a human rights activist.
He is known to have crusaded for humanrights before he became Governor of Ekiti in 2010. Prior to this time, he was Director Centre for Democracy and Development Research. During this period, he became the main technical adviser to Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, also known as Oputa Panel.
Kayode and his wife fought for the rights of Nigerians when they were among the ruled and were among the most vocal elements in the society. They were not killed even in the dark days of the military. But now that Nigeria is supposed to be under a full blown democracy, those who fought for the rights of Nigerians have suddenly turned on Nigerians, presiding over the shedding of blood of innocent Nigerian students fighting for their rights.
It was Monday, September 9, 2019. Students of Federal University of Oye-Ekiti(FUOYE) were protesting about the poor state of events in their university. Specifically they were protesting lack of electricity in Oye town, where the university is located. But an unarmed students’ protest soon turned bloody. It became target of attacks by the security aides of Bisi Fayemi. According to eye witnesses, the security aides of the First Lady chased after the students and engaged them in sporadic shootout, leaving two students dead. The affected students are Okonofua Joseph and Dada Oluwaseyifunmi Kehinde, they have been buried in tears.
However, Mrs. Fayemi has not apologised but she has denied culpability in the death of the students just as the National Assiociation of Nigerians Students(NANS) is currently spoiling for war.
Statement by Bisi Adeleye Fayemi
“Yesterday, September 10th 2019, there was a crisis at Oye town in Oye Local Government, Ekiti State, while I was on an empowerment and advocacy tour to engage with women across the State. The tour commenced on Monday September 9th, with visits to two local governments which were hugely successful and peaceful.
On September 10th, we were billed to visit three local governments – Moba, Ilejemeje and Oye. The first two stops were just like the ones before – peaceful with no incident. While we were at Ilejemeje, we received a call from our advance security team that students of the Federal University of Oye (FUOYE) were protesting a lack of electricity in Oye town. We were told that more information would be provided on the situation. Shortly after we received word that the students had dispersed and the coast was clear for my visit.
When my convoy got to the Oye-Isan junction, we were met by a convoy of excited Okada riders who led us into Oye town. We made a stop at the primary healthcare center along the road for me to present delivery kits to pregnant women. There was no sign of any trouble. We proceeded to the venue of my town hall meeting at the civic center with women in Oye Local Government.
The atmosphere was very peaceful, the women were singing and dancing and there was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss. I stopped at the tent erected for the mobile health clinic in front of the civic center to greet the elderly patients who were being attended to, and I also went to greet the beneficiaries of the Food Bank for the elderly project (Ounje Arugbo), who were assembled under another tent. I then proceeded into the hall for the program.
Half-way through our event, there was a disturbance outside. The FUOYE students (and possibly infiltrated by local thugs) had re-grouped and were trying to get into the venue. The security officers prevented this from happening. We finished our program, and by the time we got outside, we found that vehicles from my convoy and those of my guests that were parked outside the venue had been vandalised. As we were driving out of Oye town, we encountered at least two road blocks that the students had mounted to prevent the movement of vehicles. I could see students/thugs throwing stones and large sticks at us as we drove by.
However, the casualties that were recorded did not take place while I was there. There are eye-witnesses, photographs and video footage to confirm this.
