Ogun state deputy governor, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Wednesday, escaped a possible attack by the representatives of student bodies during a protest in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Blueprint correspondent reports that the students, who were protesting hike in school fees, non-mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme, among other sundry concerns, ran into the deputy governor’s convoy around the NUJ secretariat, in Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta.
Sighting the mob, the convoy made an immediate detour, with sporadic gun shots in the air to disperse the suspecting students from further advancement towards the convoy.
According to the special adviser to the governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the convoy was on its way to the 35 Artillery Brigade Alamala, Abeokuta, to represent Governor Dapo Abiodun, at the reception marking year 2025 Armed Forces Rememberance day elebrations, when her convoy met the protesting students.
“This informed her convoys’ decision to make an immediate detour to her lodge for the protesting students to pass peacefully before she left for the function she was slated to attend.
“Noteworthy is that there was obstruction of vehicular movement”, Akinmade said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Ogun JCC, Chairman Comrade Adeyanju Francis, disclosed that there was no confrontational attack on the deputy governor’s convoy, adding that the protesting students were surprised at the sudden detour of the convoy.
He explained that the students assembled themselves when they saw the convoy of the deputy governor, thinking she was coming to address them on the matter.
He added that, at the protests, Six Divisional Police Officers (DPO), including a Deputy Commissioner in charge of the operation were with them at the peaceful protest, so, “there was no way we could probably have attacked the deputy governor’s convoy.”