10 sustains various injuries as police, students clash in Osun

Firstclass newsline gathered that no fewer than 10 persons, including
four infants, were injured as armed policemen on Monday clashed with
students of Osun State-owned tertiary institutions, who staged a
protest in Osogbo, the state capital.
The students staged the protest over the stoppage of studies for over
four months due to the strike by their lecturers.
The students led by leaders of the Joint Campus Committee of the
National Association of Nigerian Students were from Osun State
Polytechnic, Iree; Osun State Polyetchnic Esa Oke; Osun State College
of Education, Ilesa; and Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun.
The students demanded that government should accede to the demands of
their lecturers and also objected to the planned merger of some
tertiary institutions.
Firstclass newsline gathered that policemen accosted the students who
were marching towards the Governor's Office by barricading the road
leading to their destination around House of Assembly.
The armed policemen fired tear gas to disperse the students who were
moving towards the barricade.
The students retreated but regrouped to continue their march. The
policemen repelled the students again and the protesters eventually
resorted to throwing stones at the security agents.
Some students were injured during the clash and the smoke from the
tear gas fired by the policemen affected some infants whose mothers
were caught in the melee.
Three students were said to have been arrested while some of the buses
brought by the protesters were also seized by the police.
The Chief of Staff, Mr. Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who addressed the
students after the end of the first clash said the governor did not
authorise the police to assault them.
He said, "We need to work together to resolve this issue. We are with
you. Their salary is intact. Nobody is touching their money.
"What is the guarantee that if we release the money, the lecturers
will resume? They must resume for their salaries to be paid, that is
what the governor said."
Firstclassnewsline.net