JUST IN: Angry Students Lock Out Staff, Shut Down Activities As Mega Protest Rocks UI

Thousands of students at the University of Ibadan have protested against a hike in school fees and other issues.

Starting at 8 a.m., the angry students blocked all entrances to the institution, locking out both academic and non-academic staff. They then moved from faculty to faculty to ensure a complete halt to academic activities.

The students warned against video recording of the protest and expressed that the school management has been unfair to them.

A protesting male student said, “We are protesting against the injustice and insensitivity of the school authorities to our plight. They plan to shed power, meaning we’ll have days in darkness. How are we supposed to study?”

He continued, “They have also hiked school fees to an unimaginable extent. Our parents can’t afford it. Even feeding is difficult, and now they are increasing tuition fees. Enough is enough.”

Another issue, according to the students, is the victimization of colleagues who protested previously. They mentioned that some students were arrested and remain detained for opposing the injustice.

Three female science students stated that their situation is worse, with fees increasing from about N78,000 to over N300,000. Some are paying N200,000.

The protest also disrupted a scheduled 10 a.m. program at the Department of Economics, CBN Hall. The students shut all the gates, causing a few staff members who managed to trek from the gates to scramble for safety.