Tuition: Police fight LASU students with teargas

Scene of the incident

Policemen on Tuesday chased away students of the Lagos State University who stormed the Lagos Governor’s Office to demand reduction in the tuition.

The policemen bombarded the students with teargas canisters and shot into the air in a bid to disperse them.

The protesters had arrived at the Governor’s Office in three BRT buses and blocked the entrance.

They chanted anti-government songs before the policemen, many of whom were attached to the state’s Rapid Response Squad, swooped on them.

The policemen shot sporadically into the air and released teargas canisters into the midst of the students, causing them to scampering different directions.

The policemen chased the students to the other side of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where they pitched near the Magodo Estate gate.

It was learnt that two students and the driver of one of the BRT buses were arrested by the police, while the bus was impounded.

The policemen later barricaded the road leading to the Governor’s Office from the Lagos State House of Assembly.

President, LASU Students Union, Yusuf Nurudeen, said the students came to know why the state government had not announced the reduction in the school’s tuition after the committee set up by Fashola submitted its report on Monday.

He added, “We also learnt that the government will be meeting with the Governing Council of the school today and that is why we came. We were singing peacefully at the entrance of the Governor’s Office when the policemen started firing at us.

“It is sad because we came to hear the announcement of the reduction in school fees. The police cannot do this without the order of the governor.”

The LASU SUG president said three students were injured and had been rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, while two others were arrested.

He said, “They pursued and shot at us, but we will continue to protest.”

However, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba said the State Executive Council had yet to conclude on the school fees issue, adding that by Wednesday (today) the government would probably make its position known.

He declined to say whether there would be reduction in the fees or not, insisting that the details of government position would be made known to the public at the conclusion of the matter.