Students Protest Death of Gateway Polytechnic StudentStudents Protest Death of Gateway Polytechnic Student Students in Ogun State, Nigeria, staged a protest on Tuesday to demand justice for the death of Idowu Pelumi David, a student of Gateway Polytechnic who was allegedly killed by a fleeing driver. The incident occurred outside the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Sagamu last week. According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the suspicious vehicle entered the NYSC camp after the accident. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) mobilized thousands of students to protest at the Ogun State Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta. They carried placards with messages such as “Every life matters” and “Ogun students demand arrest and prosecution of NYSC State Coordinator Diana Nasamu for obstruction of justice.” NANS State Chairman Francis Adeyanju accused the NYSC State Coordinator, Diana Nasamu, of trying to hide the truth and protect the driver. NAOSS National Chairman Kehinde Thomas emphasized the importance of holding the perpetrator accountable. Assistant Police Commissioner Manger Fergus assured the protesters that the police were investigating the incident and would ensure justice prevailed. He urged the students to remain peaceful in their demonstrations. The protest highlights the concerns raised by students over the safety of students in the state and the need for thorough investigations into cases of violence or negligence.
Students in Ogun State on Tuesday, under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), protested the death of a student of Gateway Polytechnic, Idowu Pelumi David, who was allegedly killed by a fleeing driver.
Idowu, an ND 1 of the Public Administration Department, was reportedly run over by a fleeing driver outside the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, camp along Ayepe-Sagumu last week.
The students accused an NYSC staff member of driving the car that killed Idowu.
The students protested at the Ogun State Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, demanding an investigation into Idowu’s death.
The students were armed with placards with various inscriptions such as: “Every life matters”, “We cannot be silenced in the pursuit of justice” and “Ogun students demand arrest and prosecution of NYSC State Coordinator Diana Nasamu for obstruction of justice”.
Speaking at the protest, the state chairman of NANS, Francis Adeyanju, said: “We are here to express our dismay over the death of one of our students. We want to believe that justice will prevail.
“We have done our investigation and we have seen the truth but it seems that these people are trying to hide something from us. The state coordinator of NYSC is trying to hide something from us, she is hiding the driver of the suspicious car that killed the student.
“Eyewitnesses claimed that the driver of the suspicious vehicle that killed the student immediately entered the NYSC camp, but the state coordinator has consistently denied this obvious truth.”
NAOSS National Chairman Kehinde Thomas also called on the police in the state to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure justice is done.
“We will not sit idle and allow the incident to be swept under the carpet. The lives of the students of Ogun State matter. Death is of course the end of us all, we all agree on that. But this careless killing of Idowu Pelumi David cannot be allowed to pass without the perpetrator being held accountable.
“Students in the state strongly believe in the integrity and ability of the state police to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure that not only is justice done, but that justice is actually done,” Thomas said.
Addressing the protesters, Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of operations Manger Fergus said police had already launched an investigation into the student’s death.
He assured the students of justice and urged them to express their grievances in a peaceful manner.
