The Lagos State police command has deployed its officers to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to ensure that law and order are not violated amidst student protests over a rise in tuition fees.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the deployment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.
He stated that the deployment of policemen was a precautionary measure to uphold law and order.
‘The policemen were only posted to the campus to maintain peace and order.’
‘They are not meant to restrict movement in and out of the school. People are going in and coming out freely,’ he said.
He mentioned that students and school officials were working together in discussions to find a solution that would ultimately satisfy both parties in light of the fee increase.
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According to reports, the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council (NANS JCC), Lagos State Chapter, postponed its planned protest against the hike in UNILAG school fees on August 8, citing the intervention of the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Idowu Owohunwa.
According to Hundeyin, the commissioner had a dialogue with the student representatives about the protest they had planned and promised to hold discussions with the university’s vice-chancellor to resolve the students’ complaints.
‘One of the students (name withheld) in the delegation, who is an indigent student, was given a scholarship by the CP throughout his university education.’
‘Based on this and others, the students’ leaders agreed to suspend the protest,’ he said.
In recent times, universities increasing tuition fees has become a common trend, with Obafemi Awolowo University being the latest example. Many students, especially those facing financial hardships amid the economic challenges, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent development.