Tension as Ogun students protesting abductions stone police vans, barricade highway

Travellers and motorists were on Wednesday stranded as students of D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State, blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to protest against the abduction of two of their colleagues.

PUNCH Metro gathered that some gunmen attacked a students’ hostel at Afowowa, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State around 1am on Wednesday.

The students said they were angry because the police refused to respond to distress calls, adding that the attack lasted for almost four hours without any challenge from security agents.

A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The gunmen attacked a hostel at Afowowa and operated for almost four hours.

“They made away with laptops and other belongings of our colleagues. We called the police, but there was no response. Later, the police said their vehicle was not in good condition.

“When they finally arrived, they said the students should lead in facing the gunmen. One of the students was shot in the leg and others were badly injured. That is why we trooped to the streets to protest.”

The students, who had earlier marched to a police station in the area, barricaded the main road linking Abeokuta with Sango-Ota and Lagos.

Commuters on the road were held in traffic for hours, as the youth insisted that they would not open the road until their kidnapped colleagues were rescued.

It was learnt that some police vans were stoned at the beginning of the protest.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was aware of the protest.

However, Oyeyemi said he had not been fully briefed on the cause of the demonstration. Punch