By METROWATCH Reporter
Management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has appealed to students for calm and not take laws into their hands by taking to protests over the alleged assault on one of their colleagues by soldiers on campus.
metrowatchxtra.com yesterday reported how soldiers from S&T Barracks in Benin City assaulted a student who had attempted to stop the soldiers after they had disrupted a well-organised queue to withdraw money from one of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) on campus, amid scarcity of the new naira notes.
It was gathered that the soldiers had descended heavily on the female student who they assumed was recording their ungodly act on tape. This, however, did not go down well with other civilians on queue who would later come to the student’s rescue.
Things, however, escalated quickly after the soldiers attempted to forcefully abduct the student to their barrack apparently to ‘deal with her’ but for the quick intervention of the school’s security department. The security personnel, however, met a strong resistance from the soldiers who would later assault them.
The development reportedly led to further agitation from the already aggrieved civilians. In a viral video seen by this online media, one of the soldiers could be seen on the floor after being temporarily neutralised. He would later manage to scale the university’s fence and call for backup.
Reacting in a statement obtained by metrowatchxtra.com on Friday signed by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Lilian Salami, and circulated to staff and students, she said management was in discussion with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for amicable resolution.
The statement reads, “The unfortunate incident of the clash between some students of our university and soldiers on Thursday 2nd February, resulting from alleged resistance of students to the soldiers’ attempt to jump ATM cues on campus has been brought under control and the Management of the University is in discussions with the hierarchy of the S & T for amicable resolution.
“The Management acknowledges that these are challenging times for everyone and enjoins all to remain calm while efforts are being made to avert a re-occurrence.
“Management also calls on the students to constantly engage dialogue in resolving issues that concern them rather than taking to protests, at any provocation, thereby causing more injury and damage to themselves and other citizens.”
