The peace that the ancient city of Ibadan is known for evaporated on Monday as the police engaged students of the Federal College of Agriculture in a bloody clash leaving two people shot and several others fatally wounded.
The theatre of the conflict was at the Moor Plantation, Odo-Ona, Apata area of Ibadan, leaving motorists were stranded as a result of the huge gridlock.
National Daily gathered that when the crisis was building up, police resorted to the use of teargas to disperse the students but later degenerated to use of live bullets which injured several innocent people.
It was further learnt that apart from students that were injured, two staffers of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) had bullet wound but were rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH) were they have been admitted.
It was gathered that the lingering strike had snowballed into the crisis as it was gathered that the students decided to express their angst after been tired of staying at home claiming there was no point coming to the college without any academic activity going on.
A source disclosed that the clash escalated on Monday when students of Federal College of Agriculture that shared the same premises with IART&T and Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology protested against the leadership of the Provost of the institution, Dr. Adelekan in the school premises.
Although the Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, ASP Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the ugly development, added that no one died during the clash.
Some witnesses who spoke anonymously said the students blocked the Apata-Dugbe Road when the police came to disperse them.
It was further learnt that the students resisted them hence they reenforced and started chasing all the students, staffs of the institutions they sighted.
It was gathered that two staff of IAR&T including Mrs Helen Adekanmi and another male staff who were shoot during the fracas have been hospitalised and are currently receiving treatments at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
One of the identified students, an industrial training (IT) student, a male staff, Mr. Lanre Johnson and few others ten others sustained various degrees of injuries on their legs, arms, toes, heads and other part of the body.
The clash that was said to have lasted over two hours led to the damage of several cars belonging to staff of IAR&T.
Reacting to the clash, the Executive Director of IAR&T, Professor James Adediran, described the situation as “unfortunate that policemen could not differentiate between staff of the institute and students and staff of the College of Agriculture who were protesting.”
Adediran frowned at the invasion by the police saying no one was spared from their brutalisation, adding that “Two of our staff are in the hospital, one was hit on the leg and the other in the abdomen. Some were injured on the heads and the hands”.
At the moment, the two major gates leading into the institution have been shut while police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and other police vehicles have been stationed at the gate.
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