Four Critically Injured As Soldiers, UNN Students Clash In Enugu

By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu – No fewer than four students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, were on Thursday left seriously injured after they clashed with soldiers from the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu.

A source told newsmen men that trouble started when the armed soldiers confronted, students of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the ivory tower who, were on a peaceful protest.

AFRICAN EXAMINER gathered that a 3rd year student from the same faculty recently lost her life in an auto crash, following the sudden closure of the institution by its management.

The female student was on her way to her home-town in Anambra State, after the closure of hostels, when she lost her life alongside other passengers.

Few days after her burial, her colleagues, who were apparently still grieving over the sudden demise, staged a protest over a prolonged strike in their faculty.

The students, who marched out in their numbers, accused the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, of being insensitive to their plights.

Our correspondent however, gathered that the faculty staff and the University authority had been at loggerheads over their salary and allowances, prompting the former to proceed on indefinite strike.

Meanwhile, the development took a new dimension on Wednesday, as the students said they were tired of staying at home and demanded for an immediate settlement of the dispute between the school management and staff.

The protest by the students according to a source, was peaceful until the arrival of armed soldiers allegedly contacted by the University management.

Said one of the students: “We were not in any way lawless; we had only gone to the office of the Vice Chancellor to register our grievances but he unleashed soldiers on us”.

The dean of the faculty could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing this report.

However, a lecturer who craved anonymity said that “the problem started since April this year when our allowances were suddenly deducted without valid reason; “when we saw the ugly situation, an official letter was written to the VC but till now nothing was done about it’’ he stated.