On Wednesday, June 12, 2013 students of the University of Uyo, Nigeria staged a peaceful protest against the N200 exhorbitant fare on a newly introduced bus shuttle from Town Campus of the University to the permanent site at Nsukara. In the course of the event, the University management invited the Nigerian Police Force who came to the scene and used tear gas canisters to disperse students, causing severe suffocation to several students, some of whom were asthmatic.
The peaceful protest turned mayhem when the police shot and killed one Kingsley Udoette, a 200 Level Zoology student of the Institution. The reaction that followed thereafter was setting ablaze of properties of the University. Same evening, the Senate of the University declared the Institution temporarily closed and ordered all students to vacate the school hostels.
We want the world -United Nations, human rights organizations and activists; local, national and international governments; Parliamentarians, the Labour Union; Trade Union Congress, Media, Student bodies and youth groups, Parents and the general public, to note that:
(i) The Students Union and entire student population did not consent to the N200 fare and had communicated their disagreement to the management through the Dean, Student Affairs Division who is a senior management staff.
(ii) The University management went ahead to sign a MoU, agreeing the N200 fare with the Transport Company without involving the Students' Union.
(iii) The police indiscriminately arrested innocent students, who were trying to get their stuffs from the hostel that evening. They were brutalized and kept in Police cells for more than four days after which they were charged to a Magistrate court for MURDER and ARSON where they were ordered to be remanded in prison custody till date.
(iv) The very poor and unhygienic state of Nigerian prisons is grossly unsafe to the health of these students. More so, some of them are asthmatic.
We Therefore Demand the Following:
1. That the Nigerian Police free our students and children presently held in their custody.
2. That the Nigerian Police withdraw the court case against our students.
3. The Inspector General of Police (IG) should publicly expose the murderer of Comr. Kingsley Udoette and make sure he is brought to book.
The Inspector-General (IG)
Thro:
The Police Commissioner
Akwa Ibom State
Nigeria
In the spirit of exercising fairness, conscience, and human rights, we urge you to:
1. Free our students and children presently held in their custody.
2. Withdraw the court case against our students.
3. Publicly expose the murderer of Comr. Kingsley Udoette and make sure he is brought to book.
cc: The Executive Governor, Akwa Ibom State
The Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly
The Hon. Speaker, Akwa bom State House of Assembly
Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom State
Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Akwa Ibom State
The Hon. Commissioner, Bureau of Youth and Sport, Akwa Ibom State
