ASUU STRIKE:- STUDENTS' PEACEFUL PROTEST TURNS BLOODY IN DELTA

Peaceful protest organized by Nigeria Students Delta State over the continuous Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike turned out to be bloody as police were alleged to have fired both tear gas and gunshots at students to prevent them from protesting. Consequently many of the students were alleged to have received various degree of injuries. A three hundred student was allegedly seriously injured is presently receiving treatment in an hospital Urhobotoday gathered that three of the students who were critically injured as a result of the police action are admitted in different hospitals at Asaba, Delta State. An inkured student soak with blood, while another is critically ill lying on the floor, A student who spoke to URHOBOTODAY who did not want his names on print revealed that after a meticulous survey of recent face off between ASUU and the Federal Government they Nigerian students in Delta State decided to go on a peaceful rally to register their dissatisfaction at the slow space of handling the issues which they argued is detrimental to the future of the Nigeria students. “We embarked on the rally on the 22nd of August 2013 after writing to Delta State Commissioner of Police Mr Ikechukwu Aduba and Director of State Security (SSS) intimating them of our intention to go on peaceful protest..To our dismay, the Nigeria police did everything possible to obstruct our effort by first of all arresting the Student Union President of Delta State University Abraka, Agboroli Joshua and other students on their way to Asaba along the expressway before the Asaba International Airport. “After much trouble and intervention the arrested students were released. Despite the police effort to obstruct our peaceful rally, we finally succeeded in conveying at summit junction where we intended moving on to the SSG’s office along Okpanam road by Zenith Bank where we wanted register our grievances to the government. It was at that point police said we should not move further. “One Mr Ifeanyi Emmanuel of the Nigeria police Asaba then ordered the police to shoot at harmless students who were going about their protest peaceful. He said the order to shoot at the students was an instruction from an ‘Oga at the Top’ whom he later identified as Delta State Commissioner of Police. “In the course of the police shooting sporadically and firing canisters of tear gas, many students and even journalists sustained various degree of injuries with three students critically injured. They are presently receiving treatment at St. Joseph Hospital Asaba,” the student reported. The students who alleged that the State Government did not show any interest about the plight, however appealed to the Inspector General of Police Mr Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the issues for them to get Justice. Attempt for Urhobotoday to get police side of the story was however futile as Delta State Commissioner of Police Mr Ikechukwu Aduba and the State Police Public Relation Officer refused to pick our calls before going to press.