JUST IN: Nigerian Governor Escapes Death As Students Attack His Convoy
The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, on Wednesday reportedly escaped an attack by representatives of student bodies during a protest in Abeokuta.
Salako-Oyedele was on her way to 35 Artillery Brigade Alabama, Abeokuta, to represent Governor Dapo Abiodun at a ceremony organised to mark the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day when her convoy met the protesting students.
The demonstration which began from the school gate of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, was to end at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan.
It was reported that MAPOLY students had on Monday protested the pending results for graduated students, delay in NYSC mobilization and increment in tuition fees.
Following this, the management of the institution shut down the school till further notice and on Tuesday dissolved the student union executives.
However the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS Ogun JCC, Adeyanju Francis, frowned at the development adding that the student body would on Wednesday protest against the institution’s action.
According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the protesting students, who were allegedly armed with sticks and other dangerous objects, became restive immediately they saw the deputy governors’s convoy.
The statement reads, “The irate protesting MAPOLY students, were armed with sticks and other dangerous projectiles, all efforts to allow the convoy pass proved abortive as immediately the students realized it was the Deputy Governor, they became even more restive and rushed to attack her convoy despite her security operatives as well as other police officers’ persuasion to stay calm and allow the convoy pass
“This informed her convoy’s decision to make an immediate detour to her lodge for the protesting students to pass peacefully before she left for the function she was slated to attend.
“Noteworthy is that there was obstruction of vehicular movement, while some of her security vehicles were damaged and her security operatives were also hurt in the process of maintaining law and order.”
When contacted, the NANS Ogun JCC Chairman, Adeyanju Francis, denied the allegation saying the policemen attached to the convoy shot at the students first.
Francis said, “None of our students attacked her, we were coming peacefully. We converged this morning at MAPOLY to express our grievances to the Ogun State government and on our way going to Oke Mosan we were accosted by the entourage of the deputy governor.
“At first we thought she was sent from Oke-Mosan to engage the student constituency not until the policemen attached to her started shooting at Nigeria students.
“We even took three out of the bullets they shot at us at OPIC on our way to Iwe Iroyin.”
Francis maintained that none of the students were armed with stick, saying, “It is a blatant lie against Nigerian students; even her policemen injured some of our students. It was after that that the students started chasing their vehicles.”