FUOYE killings: NANS exonerates Fayemi’s wife

From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has exonerated wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, from the recent killing of two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

NANS also lifted an order barring Governor Kayode Fayemi and his wife from the campuses of all tertiary institutions in the country.

Two FUOYE students, Joseph Okonofua and Kehinde Dada, were on September 10, 2019 allegedly shot dead during a protest that coincided with the visit of Mrs. Fayemi to Oye Ekiti, resulting in a confrontation betwen the first lady’s security details and other students.

The incident had forced NANS to make a public statement directing students to henceforth treat Governor Fayemi and his wife as persona non grata in all Nigerian tertiary institutions.

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In a communique jointly signed by NANS Senate President, Gambo Abubakar Mohammed and Clerk, Kabiru Mohammed, at the end of Senate meeting in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the student body said neither the governor nor his wife knew anything about the death of the students.

SUG President, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, moved a motion for the lifting of the order, seconded by SUG President of Niger State College of Education, Zakari Mohammed, and was affimed by other Senators at the plenary.

Exonerating Fayemi and his wife further, NANS said: “Ekiti State Government has taken the responsibility of paying hospital bills of all injured students and for the burial arrangement of the deceased.

“The government also visited the deceased students’ families and compensated them while processing the employment opportunities for two of their relations.

“We realised that it is time to move on and allow sleeping dog lie in the interest of peace and love among all those that were involved,” he said.

The students appealed to Fayemi to fulfill his promises to those who suffered any form of calamity during the incident.

The Senators also lamented the recent death of a students’ leader, Yemi Adeniran, in an auto crash, saying  the deceased did well as a member of the SUG  during his lifetime.