Protesting students of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Wednesday threatened to block the Abuja-Lagos Highway if the Federal Government failed to stop the incessant killing of their colleagues by trucks.
Benjamin Timothy, FUL President, Student Union Government (SUG), who made the threat during the procession at the Falele Campus, Lokoja, said the students were tired of mourning their colleagues.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five of the institution’s students were killed on Monday when an articulated vehicle lost control and crushed a shuttle bus carrying students.
“The five students killed on Monday have brought the number to 12 students killed by trucks in avoidable accidents in just a space of two months,” the SUG President decried.
Timothy said that the peaceful demonstration staged on Wednesday was a signal to the authorities concerned to do something drastic about the continuous massacre of innocent students along the highway or they would barricade the highway.
“We have given the authorities 72 hours to address the incessant killings of our fellow students or we file out of the streets in huge protest.
“The five fellow students that were killed on Monday brought the casualty to 12. We can’t keep folding our arms to see those trucks keep on killing us like chickens.
“Most of us came to this university from afar in search of knowledge, and not to die.
“Therefore, we must rise against dangerous and reckless drivers, who are out to kill us along the Felele Highway,” he said.
According to him, the students are yet to see any government action toward addressing the matter even though Gov. Ahmed Ododo of Kogi had pledged to do something drastic within 48 hours time.
Also speaking, Gomina Ahmed-Kabir, Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Kogi, decried the inaction of tge federal and state governments over the continous killing of students on the highway.
Ahmed-Kabir said the authorities should not blame the students if they blocked the highway to drive home their demands in putting a stop to the killings.
Responding, retired Commodore Jerry Omodara, the Security Adviser to Gov. Ododo, pleaded with the protesting students to give government more time to address the issue.
He said that Gov Ododo had within less than 24 hours of Monday’s ugly incident, already constituted a committee to look into the matter.
According to him, the committee is headed by the Deputy Gov., Joel Salifu, with FUL Vice Chancellor as a member.
He explained that the committee would look into ways of stopping the incessant killings of students on the highway.
“We are pleading with them to exercise some patience.
“We are even expecting the Minister of Works here in Lokoja on Wednesday for us to brain storm on better measures to be taken on the matter.” Omodara pleaded.
Mr Samuel Oyedeji, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kogi, expressed sadness over the tragic accidents witnessed along the highway.
Oyedeji said that the Corps was doing its best in carrying out routine checks on vehicles plying the highways.
He said that this was to ensure that they were not only in good condition, but driven in compliance to road traffic rules.
“All these efforts are aimed at ensuring smooth and safe driving to avoid any form of accident that can bring about loss of lives and property,” he said. (NAN)
