Students in Ogun State, under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students and National Association of Ogun State Students, on Tuesday, protested the death of a student of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Sapade, Aiyepe Annexe, Idowu Pelumi David.
The deceased was reportedly killed by a hit-and-run driver in front of the camp of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, along the Ikenne-Sagumu road last week.
The students staged the protest at the Ogun state police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, demanding an investigation into Idowu’s death.
They were armed with placards with various inscriptions such as, “Every live matter”, “We cannot be silenced on justice” and “Ogun Students Demands Arrest and Prosecution of NYSC State Coordinator, Diana Nasamu For Obstruction Of Justice”.
The state Chairman of NANS, Francis Adeyanju said, “We are here to register our displeasure over the demise 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 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 suspected car that killed the student.
“Eyewitness claimed that the driver of the suspected vehicle that killed the student drove into the NYSC camp immediately but the state coordinator has continued to deny this obvious truth.”
Also speaking, the National President of NAOSS, Kehinde Thomas, accused the state coordinator of NYSC, Olayinka Diana Nasamu of cover-up.
“This peaceful protest is to express our sadness and grievance over the senseless crushing to death of Idowu Pelumi David, an ND1 Public Administration student of the Gateway Polytechnic, Ayepe Annex, by a staff of the National Youth Service Corps in the state.
“We will not sit idly and allow the incident to be swept under the carpet. The lives of the Ogun State students matter. Death is naturally the end of us all, we all agree. But, this careless killing of Idowu Pelumi David, must not go without the perpetrator being brought to book.
“Students in the state strongly believe in the integrity and capability of the police in the state, to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure justice is not only done but seen to be served”, Thomas said.
Addressing the protesters, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Manger Fergus, said the police had already commenced investigation into the death of the student.
He assured the students of justice and urged them to remain peaceful in expressing their grievances.