LASU reopens gates shut by protesting students

The management of Lagos State University, Ojo, has reopened the gates of the institution which were shut by protesting students.

In the early hours of Monday, LASU student union executive led their colleagues to the Iyana-Oba and Ojo gates of the institution and shut them in protest against soldiers’ assaults on them during the presidential election of February 25, 2023.

However, as of press time, the gates had been reopened and normalcy had returned.

A student who gave her name simply as Dunsin narrated the cause of the protest to our correspondent, saying, “On the presidential election day, some soldiers beat up our Student Union Government President because the SUG hindered community members from entering the campus to vote early enough. The SUG took the initiative because of the safety of the students and staff of LASU.

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According to her, the students claimed the SUG wanted them to vote before granting community members access to the campus.

“However, when the community members eventually entered, they came in with soldiers and beat up our executives and some students. It was announced last Monday (February 27) that there would be a protest today. So, that was the reason the gates were shut for some hours and protests held too against maltreatment, assault on students by soldiers,” she said.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Olaniyi Jeariogbe, also confirmed that calm had returned to the campus.

The PUNCH had reported earlier that a parent who could not exit the campus said the students locked both the Iyana-Oba and Ojo gates, thereby preventing both vehicular and pedestrian movement.

He said, “We have been here for some hours. The students locked up both gates, and everywhere is filled with vehicles trying to come in and exit. The security men said the students shut the gates because their executives and some students were beaten by soldiers last week. We are all waiting at the gate, no movement.”