Confusion as AAUA Varsity Students Protest Death of Colleague

 
 
By James Sowole in Akure
 
Confusion yesterday enveloped the university town of Akungba Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo States University   as students of the state-owned Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) trooped to the town protesting the death of one of their colleagues.
The deceased identified as Ojo Afolabi Daniel was a 200level student in the Department of Economic Education of the institution, who also operates a commercial motorcycle; the proceeds from which he uses to sponsor himself in school.
A source said the deceased was knocked down by a high speed vehicle while riding on his motorcycle on the Owo-Ikare Expressway on Friday night.
Daniel was said to have died in the school ambulance on the way to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo where he was being rushed to.
The students were said to have embarked on the protest due to what they called the failure of the university authority to provide adequate facilities in the school ambulance.
One of the protesters said “the school has an ambulance without  oxygen, if there was oxygen in the ambulance, our colleague would not have died before getting to Owo, which is  less than 30 minutes journey from Akungba.”
However,,  the Public Relations Officer of the AAUA, Mr. Sola Imoru, said the students were not protesting against the school management but against the killing of their colleague who was killed by a reckless driver .
He said, “The students’ demonstration of this morning was  against the recklessness of motorists plying the Akungba-Ikare highway and not against the university management and neither were the students blaming the management.
During the protest, the angry students barricaded the ever busy Ikare-Owo Road and made bonfire at several points on the road, which caused traffic gridlock for several hour.
An eyewitness said the students carried out their protest under the watchful eyes of men of the Ondo State Police Command and other security agents to prevent breakdown of law and order.
 

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