Persons suspected to be hoodlums on Tuesday afternoon hijacked a protest by students of the Federal University of Oye Ekiti and attacked the convoy of the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mrs. Fayemi was said to be returning from a tour of the 16 Local Government Areas of the state on an empowerment programme.
NAN learnt that the hoodlums went on rampage in the afternoon, a few hours after the students, who had earlier in the day protested against incessant power outage, calling on the Federal Government to assist them, had dispersed.
The hoodlums were said to have engaged the security operatives in violent clashes and allegedly vandalised vehicles in the convoy of Mrs. Fayemi.
Virtually all the vehicles on her convoy were reportedly affected, while a police vehicle was reportedly burnt and rifles allegedly snatched.
No fewer than three of the journalists on the entourage were also said to have been attacked and wounded.
The students of FUOYE had gathered very early in the morning in front of the gates of the twin campuses of the institution in Oye and Ikole respectively.
It was gathered that the students dispersed after a few hours and normalcy had returned to the campuses and their environs.
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However, some miscreants later allegedly regrouped to take advantage of the occasion to unleash violence on innocent persons when they learnt that the wife of the governor had arrived Oye LG town hall, in continuation of her tour.
Anonymous sources said that Mrs. Fayemi, who escaped physical attack by the whiskers, had to be taken out of the venue by a retinue of armed security men to ensure her safety.
Reacting, the Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed the attack.
Ikechukwu explained that the students truly protested in the morning and blocked the Ifaki-Ikole-Omuo Federal Highway and prevented free flow of vehicles.
He added: “The students did not allow vehicles to move freely and they allegedly vandalised the property of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
“When police went there to dialogue with them, they resisted them. And the wife of the governor, who went on a Local Government tour, ran into the barricade mounted on the road.
“The students were reported to have been violent, destroying cars and smashing the windscreens of vehicles.
“At this stage, we were warning that the command would not tolerate hooliganism under any guise.
“We want to assure the public that the police are on top of the situation and our people must go about their normal businesses.”
