Fayemi’s Wife’s-NANS, FUOYE Face-Off – Genesis Of The Story

It is no longer news that crisis is brewing in Ekiti State, which if not stemmed could lead to something else, an even bigger problem.

Already, emotions are on the ascendency on the matter, with the national body of Nigerian students, the National Association of Nigeian Students (NANS) issuing a threat to Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the wife of the state governor..

It all began on Tuesday evening, when the goverunor’s wife was returning from a tour of some local governments in the state.

Her convoy was allegedly attacked by yet-to-be identified students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

The students had been angered by poor electricity supply on campus and decided to show it, by allegedly barricading the Oye-Ikole-Abuja highway to prevent the convoy of the wife of the governor from passing.

To them, this was the best way to send the right signal of what they were passing through on campus.

This led to a confrontation with the governor’s wife’security details, and the resultant clash led to the brunig of some vehicles on the convoy, including that of the security operatives and two pump rifle seized, according to a report in the Nation Newspaper.

Mrs Fayemi was said to have been whisked away by the security men to prevent injury to the first lady..

READ ALSO: STAY OFF ALL UNIVERSITY, POLY CAMPUSES, NANS WARNS EKITI GOV’S WIFE

Two students of the institution however lost their lives in the confrontation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, reportedy confirmed the attack on the governor’s wife and that  the students protested blocked the Ifaki-Ikole-Omuo highway and prevented free flow of vehicles.

“The students did not allow vehicles to move freely and they vandalized the property of Benin Electricity Distribution Company .

“When police went there to dialogue with them, they resisted them. And the wife of the governor who went on local government tour ran into the barricade mounted on the road.

“The students were reported to have been violent destroying cars and smashed the windscreens of vehicles.

“We want to warn that the command won’t tolerate hooliganism under any guise. We want to assure the public that the police are on top of the situation and our people must go about their normal businesses”.

The management of the Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) has constituted a 12-man investigative panel to unravel the root cause of the violent protest, leading to an attack on the convoy of wife of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.

They were said to have engaged the security operatives detailed with the First Lady in a clash with two persons reportedly killed and several wounded with over a dozen of vehicles vandalised by the rampaging students.

According to an internal memo signed on Thursday by the Director of Administration in the office of the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya, the panel will be headed by Deputy VC, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.

The management led by its VC, Prof. Kayode Soremekum, said that the step was part of measures to forestall future occurrence and to also sanitize the university system.

The management, according to the memo, gave the panel two weeks to submit its report.

The panel is taking off as the Ekiti Police Command arrested two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti in connection with the attack.

Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, the Police Commissioner, Mr Asuquo Amba, said two of his men were wounded while two police vans were burnt during the attack.

“Two persons have been arrested and one of them had confessed to the commission of the crime.

“When a crime is committed, we don’t fold our arms and watch. Even a civilian can effect arrest if crime is committed in front of him and hand them over to the police,” Amba said.

The CP, who condemned the attack on the police while performing their constitutional duties, said it was uncalled for his operatives to have been attacked in an attempt to restore orderliness.

“It is sad that police are being attacked by criminals and the civilians whom we are protecting are also attacking our people.

“We won’t rest until the perpetrators of this dastardly attack are arrested and brought to justice,” Amba said.

The police chief added that the two rifles stolen from the police during the crisis have been retrieved.