Nigeria: University Students Protest Death Of Colleague In Benin
By V-six Ejechi
A 200 level student of Philosophy of the university of Benin (UNIBEN), Rita Awele, was knocked down by a military moving vehicle on Sunday the 19th of July 2015 when she was returning from church, alongside her friend Esther Olopka who is still hospitalized as at the time of filing this report. A protest, which literally stopped all movement at the ever-busy Lagos-Benin express road [a major inter-state road], was organized and attended by over 2000 students from different departments and faculties of UNIBEN to present their grievances to the Nigeria government and school authorities.
The students protested with different placards in their hand, some reading “We want speed breakers”, “no more death” etc. This compelled a member of the academic board, the deputy VC academic Professor A. Falodun, to address the protesting crowd.
Professor Falodun said, “When the news got to the VC he felt very bad [and] immediately he placed out calls that the construction of speed breakers should commence as soon as possible”.
He also added that the other victim of the accident is now fully responding to treatment and that she has been transferred to the university Health Centre.
The protesters have given the school authorities seven days to provide necessary measure to make the speed breakers or fly over available to prevent further accidents.
