Akpabio
Five students were killed and several others reportedly injured during a riot by students who wanted a share of the ₦15 million distributed by the Akwa Ibom State governor Godswill Akpabio. The tragedy occurred yesterday at the Government House Uyo and the Ibom Hall where undergraduate students and unemployed graduates gathered at the instance of the state governor.
The inability of some unemployed graduates, students of the University of Uyo, Uyo City Polytechnic and Akwa Ibom State College of Education to get a share of the money led to a stampede.
Mr. Akpabio had announced a ₦10 million largesse for undergraduate students who were supposed to get their money at the Government House. His running mate in the gubernatorial election, Nsima Ekere, was billed to distribute the rest ₦5 million to unemployed graduates who converged at the Ibom Hall.
Trouble started with the rumour that organisers of the event have taken away ₦4 million out of the ₦10 million given to the students. After waiting for more than four hours for the remaining ₦6 million to be shared, the students started a protest.
The protest turned into a stampede as security agencies tried to remove them from the premises. In the ensuing scramble, gunshots were fired by the police and the protesting students responded by hurling stones at the police officers.
At Ibom Hall, a few fortunate unemployed graduates got ₦1,000 each but the rest had to run away when they heard the gunshots. Matters worsened when the protesting students were joined by others in the adjourning streets of Oron and Wellington Bassey road leading to sporadic shooting which extended into the night.
During a telephone interview, Essien Udoma, the Student Union President of the University of Uyo, confirmed that they were invited by the state governor to collect ₦10 million but people under the aegis of Concerned Students for Gosdwill Akpabio, the organisers, made away with ₦4 million.
He said seven students comprising three each from the Akwa Ibom State College of Education and Uyo City Polytechnic, and one from the University of Uyo have been hospitalised in an undisclosed hospital. He refused to say how many were killed in the riots.
In what amounts to a reaction, the state government has banned all groups from gathering at the Government House for any reason. The commissioner for Information and Social Re-orientation, Aniekan Umanah, said any such rally should be taken to the PDP secretariat.
Why am I thinking that this is some sort of ritual??? Innocent students
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