School Fees: Police Disperse Protesting LASU Students With Teargas

Posted by African Examiner education, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

Police officers attached to the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) have dispersed protesting students of the Lagos State University (LASU) who came to protest hike in school fees at the Lagos Governor’s Office with teargas and guns.

Hundreds of LASU students had stormed the governor’s office on Tuesday when the State Executive Council was discussing the reduction in their school fees. The police teargas the students and shoot at them.

Police chasing students with teargas

The students came in three BRT buses and occupied the entrance leading to Governor Babatunde Fashola’s Office despite the entrance leading to the office being barricaded by policemen attached to the Rapid Respond Squad, RRS.

RRS officers all of a sudden attacked he students and shot teargas and live bullets at them on the order of their Commander, Hakeem Odumosun.

The students ran helter and skelter to avoid being caught in police bullets and teargas. Three students were said to have been rushed to the hospital while two others and the driver of one of the BRT buses were arrested.

The students were chased across the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Magodo Gate in Ketu where they regrouped and vowed not to surrender until the government reduced their school fees.

Speaking with African Examiner, Yusuf Nurudeen, President, Students Union, LASU said the students came to the governor’s office fully aware that Fashola would be meeting with the Governing Council of LASU and wanted to know the latest on the review of the school fees.

He said the students were able to occupy the entrance leading to the governor’s office despite the road leading to the office being barricaded by police and engaged in peaceful protest and singing.

“The police shot at us, teargas us, shot live bullets at us right in front o the governor’s office. It is sad that they shot at us. We came to hear the announcement of the reduction in school fees. The police cannot do this without the order of the governor,” he stated.

Meanwhile, fillers from the governor’s office revealed that the State Executive Council was still deliberating on the report of the committee submitted to it on Monday with a bid to reviewing the school fees downward.