Three Students Shot dead at University Of Uyo

Yesterday, the Nigerian Police Force of Akwa Ibom State, shot dead three 

students protesting 

at the University of Uyo. An eyewitness said that he was certain, 

only of one casualty, but the other said the figure was higher.

Several sources disclosed that the students were demonstrating 

against the introduction of transport fees.

Eyewitnesses said a peaceful procession on campus turned violent, 

leading to the burning down of the vice chancellor’s office located at Ikpa Road in Uyo.

“At least three students were shot and killed by the police,” said a student source.

 He added that the police contingent had been brought in to quell the uprising.

Unconfirmed reports said university officials have closed down the school indefinitely

 after the protests that turned violent.

An eyewitness told SaharaReporters that the protest was started by 

engineering students protesting the introduction of fares for the school bus shuttle.

 The school earlier moved the engineering faculty and the faculty of sciences 

from the town campus to the permanent site at Nsukara Offot. 

“The distance between the two locations is very far,” said the source. 

He added: “Before now the school provided buses that shuttled between 

the two campuses of the university, and the bus service was free to all students.

 Now this morning the students woke up to the announcement that a fee of 

100 naira has been fixed for the bus services.”

Our source disclosed that the fares infuriated students who afterwards 

mobilized for a peaceful protest. He said the university officials 

then brought in policemen to break up the protest. 

Two of our sources accused the police of using excessive

 show of force against the unarmed protesters.

“They started firing teargas, and this made the students 

to respond by turning violent. The students started hurling 

whatever objects, they could lay their hands on at the police 

and blocked all the entrances and exits locations in the school,

” said one of the sources.

The sources said the protesters were stunned that the police fired 

live ammunition at them. They said the irate students then burnt down 

the VC’s office, other nearby buildings and the school gate.

When SaharaReporters contacted the Akwa Ibom State Police Public

 Relation Officer, Effiong dickson by telephone he said 

the police contingent sent to quell the riot did not enter 

the campus but admitted that when the student came out on the street, 

there was a skirmish as police reportedly came under attack from students 

“wielding sticks and throwing stones”. The PPRO stated that there was no 

report of any killing from his colleagues engaged in the operation. 

However, he said he had heard rumors that one student was killed.