JUST IN; Deputy Governor escapes as protesters attack her convoy
JUST IN; Deputy Governor escapes as protesters attack her convoy
During a demonstration by student representatives in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the deputy governor of Ogun State, barely avoided being attacked.
The students were demonstrating when Salako-Oyedele, who was en route to the 35 Artillery Brigade Alabama in Abeokuta to represent Governor Dapo Abiodun for the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, came across them.
The protest, which began at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) school gate, was set to end at the Governor’s office in Oke-Mosan.
MAPOLY students had been protesting unresolved issues such as pending results for graduates, delays in NYSC mobilization, and a hike in tuition fees.
In response to the unrest, the institution’s management had shut down the school on Monday and dissolved the student union executives on Tuesday. However, the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun JCC, Adeyanju Francis, condemned the actions and organized a follow-up protest on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the protesting students, armed with sticks and other dangerous objects, became increasingly agitated upon spotting the deputy governor’s convoy. The situation escalated, but fortunately, Salako-Oyedele’s convoy was able to navigate the tense environment without harm.
The statement reads, “The irate protesting MAPOLY students, were armed with sticks and other dangerous projectiles, all efforts to allow the convoy pass proved abortive as immediately the students realized it was the Deputy Governor, they became even more restive and rushed to attack her convoy despite her security operatives as well as other police officers’ persuasion to stay calm and allow the convoy pass
“This informed her convoy’s decision to make an immediate detour to her lodge for the protesting students to pass peacefully before she left for the function she was slated to attend.
“Noteworthy is that there was obstruction of vehicular movement, while some of her security vehicles were damaged and her security operatives were also hurt in the process of maintaining law and order.”
According to Daily Post, NANS Ogun JCC Chairman, Adeyanju Francis, vehemently denied the claims saying the policemen attached to the convoy shot at the students first.
Francis said, “None of our students attacked her, we were coming peacefully. We converged this morning at MAPOLY to express our grievances to the Ogun State government and on our way going to Oke Mosan we were accosted by the entourage of the deputy governor.
“At first we thought she was sent from Oke-Mosan to engage the student constituency not until the policemen attached to her started shooting at Nigeria students.
“We even took three out of the bullets they shot at us at OPIC on our way to Iwe Iroyin.”
Francis reiterated that none of the students were armed with stick, saying, “It is a blatant lie against Nigerian students; even her policemen injured some of our students. It was after that that the students started chasing their vehicles.”
