Anti-riot policemen on Monday shot at some protesting students of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) Akungba Akoko in Ondo state, injuring at least one person.
The students were protesting peacefully over the hike in their tuitions fees by over 500 % by the management of the institution.
AAUA management had at the weekend announced new tuition fees which ranged from N120, 000 and N180, 000 for the students.
The students had during their protest on Monday blocked some major roads in the state.
Reports gathered that no fewer than five students were injured when the anti-rioting policemen opened fire and shot at the students in a bid to force them to leave the roads.
One of the students injured during the protest was identified as Mr. Ajidahun Abraham from the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy.
Mr. Abraham was shot in the leg along the Oba Adesida road.
It was learned that the student was rushed to the Skye Hospital on the busy Oba Adesida road for treatment.
The protest by the aggrieved students paralyzed business and commercial activities in Akure in the early hours of Monday.
The students were armed with placards as they chanted several songs against the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu led government over the hike in fees.
Some of the placards of the protesting students read “Akeredolu must not send us away from school,” “No to hike in our school fees,” Education is our right, Aketi enjoyed free education, he must not take it from us; and “Remove increment or we make the state ungovernable,” among others.
The students vowed to make the state ungovernable for Governor Akeredolu if he failed to yield to their demands by reversing the hike in the fee.
One of the students who simply gave his name as Comrade Adeola said none of the students would accept the hike in tuition.
“Instead of Governor Akeredolu stopping us from going to school with the high tuition, we would make this State is ungovernable for him.
“Since this man gets to power a year ago, he has made life so burdensome and difficult for everybody. Even most of our parents, for some who have, they are jobless and helpless. We won’t allow him to toy with our destinies.” the student said.
Meanwhile, Olawale Ijanusi, President of AAUA’s student union government has condemned the attack on the protesting students by the armed policemen.
Mr. Ijanusi described the actions of the police who fired teargas and shot at the students as totally unacceptable.
