FUTA students to boycott lectures

Students of the Federal
University of Technology, Akure on Sunday vowed to boycott lectures this
week to mourn the death of the Student Union Government President, Mr.
Dapo Awopegba.

Awopegba lost his life on Friday night in an auto crash  on Owo-Akure Road.

The SUG President of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Mr.
Abiodun Akintola, and the President of the Ondo State School of
Midwifery in Akure, Miss Oyinkansola Olotu, also died in the accident on
their way  from Abuja on Friday.

News of the students’ deaths sparked violent reactions in Akure on
Saturday when their colleagues at the FUTA took to the streets to
protest the incident.

They blocked the Akure – Ilesa Road for many hours and rebuffed all
pleas by the Federal Roads Safety Commission officials and the police to
allow a free flow of traffic.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Aremu Adeniran, blamed the accident on over speeding.

Some of them, who spoke with our correspondent on the development, described the incident as “painful”.

One of the students, Mr. Samuel Adegbami, said the decision to stay
off classrooms was not unconnected with the fact that the policemen
chased and beat some of them while protesting on Saturday.

But the Police spokesperson denied Adegbami’s claims, saying the security operatives handled the protest with utmost caution.