By PETER OKUTU, ABAKALIKI
IT was a scene of confusion in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital penultimate week when officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Ebonyi State Police Command and students of Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Abakaliki clashed at the gate of the  College of Health Sciences, CHS, Presco campus during what initially began as a peaceful protest by the students of the institution.

The students who before 7 am  two days earlier converged at the campus gate carrying placards with varied inscriptions: “VC we need water and light”, “We don’t have water and light for three months”, “Government come to our rescue”, chanted songs that aroused both the pity and curiosity of those who cared to listen to them.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that the students used the protest to press home their demand for adequate power and water supply to the university community after failed promises by the authorities. However, the peaceful protest suddenly turned violent when a combined team of men and officers of the State Police Command and State Security Services, SSS, stormed the scene, shooting sporadically into the air as well as releasing canisters of tear gas on the students.

The students had reacted violently even as some of them ran away for safety. But they later regrouped, hurling stones and using other dangerous weapons to attack the security operatives.

*The protesting students on the march to press home their demands

Consequently, 14 students were arrested and detained by the police on April 20 and later charged to court on Monday, April 23, while an SSS officer of the State Command, Mr. Joseph Okechi sustained injuries on the head and hand. An Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, despatched to the troubled zone was smashed by the angry students.

While the protest and the attendant fracas lasted, academic and administrative activities were paralysed at the College of Health Science Campus of the university.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity condemned the shooting by the security agents. She said: “What happened here is terrible. I have to run away from that area through the bush with my family.

“The Police fired tear gas everywhere and the whole environment is no longer safe for anybody. They have to bring Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, to the area. This is unbelievable. Some residents are in their house while some have run away. It is not funny what had happened here. Two policemen were injured…,  while they arrested and beat up these students”.

Police deny protest

Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with VM, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, ASP John Eluu, denied knowledge of the protest.

Reacting to the development, the Dean, Students Affairs of the University, Dr Hilary Eze dismissed the claims of the students, stressing that the school authorities had done what it was supposed to do by providing adequate facilities for them.

Following the protest and the violence that resulted, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Francis Idike, gave the directive for the closure of the Campus, explaining that the action was necessary so as to forestall further breakdown of law and order and prevent other nearby campuses from joining the protest.

Following the detention and prosecution of the 14 accused students at Magistrate Court I at the premises of the state judiciary, there was palpable tension in Abakaliki as students of the university held journalists, judiciary workers, and men and officers of the Nigeria Police hostage for three hours.

They claimed that their action was necessitated by the refusal of the trial Magistrate, Mr. Job Orude to grant bail to the 14 accused students. Orude who argued that releasing the students would lead to further break down of law and order in the state, directed that the affected students be remanded in prison until the matter came up for hearing on April 25.

The 14 accused persons, which include 13 males and one female, were, however, arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, partaking in a riot, assault occasioning harm and unlawful assault to one Joseph Okechi by hitting him with stones on the head and hands, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 71 of the criminal code cap 33, Vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.

Protesters block roads to Government House

The protesters who were said to have blocked Ogoja, Town Planning, part of the popular water works roads and other adjourning roads leading to the Government House and the state Judiciary, also blocked all the entrance and exits of the State Judiciary with a plea that the 14 accused students be released to them unconditionally.

Speaking with journalists, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ebonyi State chapter, Mr. Malaki Nnaji stated thus: “We the student leaders will not tolerate such and that is why we are working with his Excellency, the Governor, to ensure that there is peace in this state. But some people deem it right not to bring peace to this state…;  we have promised the Governor one thing: We are going to ensure peace within our jurisdiction.

“We are asking the court one thing and that is: our students should be granted bail. They maltreated us. Our students were stripped naked and raped by police men. We will not take it lightly. We are not afraid and that is why we are here.  The reason for our protest is because there is no water and light in our hostels despite the huge amount of money we pay each year to the school management”.

However, with the barricading of the State Judiciary by the students over the refusal of the court to grant bail to the arraigned 14 students and palpable tension within the state capital, the court after an hour reconvened for another sitting which is quite usual in judicial system.

During the sitting, however, the Police prosecutor, Inspector Chibuzo Okechukwu, after informing the court that he was withdrawing the case against the 14 accused persons, the trial Judge, Orude, discharged the accused persons without any form of condition.

VM gathered that the students on receiving their colleagues outside the court premises, immediately left the scene with wild jubilation, chanting: “We don win o, we don win”.