Students from different universities in Ondo State, who were protesting against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, have been chased away by military personnel.
On Tuesday, soldiers allegedly opened fire to drive the students away from the Ilesha/Akure highway.
Students from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA; and Olusegun Agagu University of Technology, Okitipupa, OAUSTECH, have been blocking the expressway since Monday, causing traffic congestion.
The students gathered at the FUTA North Gate and Roadblock to express their displeasure with the federal government’s handling of the ASUU Strike situation.
The soldiers, who were not from the state’s 32 Artillery Brigade, were reportedly passing by when the protesting students blocked them from passing the road at the Roadblock axis.
Soldiers approaching from the Ilesha end of the road, according to several of the students who fled for safety, pounced on the students and trashed their belongings.
Passers-by and drivers stuck in traffic abandoned their vehicles as the protesting students deserted the scene.
All of the canopies and musical sets were demolished, and traffic flow was restored.
The students, however, have started assembling for another demonstration as of press time.
The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has called on students to demonstrate for at least three hours every day until the federal government agrees to ASUU’s demands.
