Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, on Saturday attacked the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Afe Babalola, as they protested over power outage in Erinfun community.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the students were angry that while they had been without electricity for over a month, a hostel for the junior staff of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, in the same area enjoyed power supply.
The irate students stoned the vehicle of the founder of ABUAD, who was in the car. They also attempted to vandalise the hostel.
The protest caused a traffic gridlock on the road, which stretched over a kilometre.
The arrival of anti-riot policemen, who tried to disperse the students by firing canisters of tear-gas, further provoked them. The students in return threw stones and canisters of the fired tear-gas at the police.
The students, who failed to listen to pleas by the new Ekiti Commissioner of Police, Mr Frederick Lakanu, blocked the Ado-Ijan-Ikare highway.
Commenting on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Victor Babayemi, said 30 students were arrested and would be charged to court for breach of public peace.
Many commuters were left stranded. A motorist, who simply gave his name as Mr. Jaye, who was on his way to Nigeria Immigration Service office area narrated his experience to our correspondent.
“I planned to visit my siblings at the Immigration office but I had to return to my house because the traffic was standstill. The students are protesting because we have not had power supply for over a month in Erinfun. All efforts made to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to address the situation did not yield any response.
“The students are protesting because of the nonchalant attitude of the PHCN,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of ABUAD, Mr. Tunde Olofintila, confirmed that the protesters attacked Babalola’s vehicle and the hostel.
He said, “They complained that the Erinfun community had not been having power supply for over a month and Chief Afe Babalola, as an elder statesman and one of those who facilitated the siting of the polythenic to the state, decided to intervene.”
“He called the rector of the polytechnic, and asked the students to send three of their representatives to meet with the unit head of the PHCN. They agreed but later said they were not going to meet with the PHCN and started the riot.
“They stoned Chief vehicle and attacked part of the hostel in the community. We had no option but to alert the police, who came to restore normalcy.
“The students and some residents in the area asked why Chief Afe Babalola’s hostel had electricity when the community didn’t have for over a month and we explained to them that the hostel was running on a generator and that it was the PHCN that was responsible for power supply and not Chief Afe Babalola,” Olofintila added.
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