Students Protest Over the closure of Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State

Security operatives comprising the Army, Police, DSS and Civil Defence Corps yesterday clamped down on students protesting the prolonged closure of all state-owned tertiary institutions in Kogi State.

The students had poured out into the popular NATACO junction on the ever busy Abuja-Lokoja-Okene road as early as 7am and blocked the highway to protest over the nearly three-month-old strike by their lecturers.

The protesting students carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘We are tired of staying at home,’ ‘2015 and 2016 students have missed the first batch of NYSC mobilization.’

The security operatives who were stationed in the area, beat up some of the students with horsewhip and arrested few others.

When contacted, Spokesman of the Kogi Police Command, Mr Williams Ayah confirmed that the protesting students were dispersed for obstructing a major highway and that three of the protesters were arrested to ascertain if they were students in the first place.