BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

LAGOS—CIVIL society groups under the aegis of the Joint Action Front, JAF, have berated Lagos Police over Wednesday alleged brutal attack and arrest of over 100 students and activists, protesting the continued closure of the nation’s Colleges of Education and Polytechnics due to lecturers’ strike.

JAF, which is the umbrella body for pro-labour civil society groups, insisted that the repression of the peaceful protest was unnecessary because it was organized against the commercialization of education in Nigeria.

JAF in a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Oladipo Fashina and Mr. Abiodun Aremu, respectively claimed “The peaceful procession of students and activists under the leadership of the National Coordinator and National Secretary of COSATEC – Comrades Usman Oloyede and Dada Idris drew thousands of students from Yaba College of Technology, Federal Polytechnics’ students from Ede, Ilaro, Offa, and Federal Colleges of Education from Akoka_Lagos and other states across the country, kicked off with remarks by the leadership of COSATEC and the Secretary of JAF – Comrade Abiodun Aremu; demanding that the FG should implement agreements reached with ASUP and COEASU in order to ensure the return to academic normalcy for the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education students.