Tension in Ondo as Police arrest 47 Ondo students protesting over bursary

Ondo State students from the oil producing communities on Thursday protested in Akure over the non-payment of their bursary allowances.

The students allegedly beat up government officials and injured three policemen.

The students had taken their protest to the Ondo State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission at Oba-Ile, Akure, to vent their anger over delays by the commission to pay the allowances.

The prompt intervention of policemen from the state Police Command saved the commission’s building and workers from the rampaging students.

It was gathered that before the arrival of the security operatives, the students had locked the entrance to the commission and booed its chairman, Johnson Ogunyemi.

The students claimed they were being owed 2013/2014 bursary allowances, saying it was the second time they were visiting the commission to demand the payment of the allowances.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state police command, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident, saying 47 students were arrested for what he termed a “breakdown of law and order.”

Ogodo said the students stormed the commission “in a fully loaded taxi and four 18-seat buses with all sorts of dangerous weapons like cable wires, sticks, iron rods, matches, machetes, containers containing substances suspected to be petrol and threatening to burn down the offices.

The PPRO added, “They also went as far as holding hostage the Permanent Secretary, a director, a student on IT was also rough handled and other staff were beaten mercilessly.

“All effort to persuade the students proved abortive and the police had to call for reinforcement as the situation was getting out of hand; to the extent of planning to abduct the permanent secretary and director.

“The police however prevailed on them; 47 suspects were arrested and three policemen were injured.”