•Many injured, over 34 cars vandalised
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Lilian Salami, and the higher institution’s President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Foster Amadin, yesterday called for calm over the clash involving many students of UNIBEN and some soldiers at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) point on campus.
The clash, according to our reporter, led to the injury of many UNIBEN’s students and vandalising by soldiers of no fewer than 34 cars at the main campus of the university at Ugbowo on the ever-busy Benin-Lagos Expressway, as the displeased students attempted to resist some soldiers who jumped the queue, while making efforts to withdraw the newly-redesigned naira notes at one of the ATM points.
One of the soldiers was seen in a viral video, being resisted by UNIBEN’s students at the ATM point on campus, with the humbled army personnel later mobilising more soldiers, who invaded the campus, vandalising cars, beating up anybody in sight and seizing mobile phones and cash of innocent students and staff, who were unable to escape from the horrifying scene.
The vice-chancellor said: “The unfortunate incident of the clash between some students of our university and soldiers, resulting from alleged resistance of students to the soldiers’ attempt to jump ATM queues on campus has been brought under control, and the management of the university is in discussion with the hierarchy of the S&T (Barracks at Ugbowo, Benin), for amicable resolution.
“The management acknowledges that these are challenging times for everyone, and enjoins all to remain calm, while efforts are being made to avert a re-occurrence.”
Salami also called on the students to constantly engage dialogue in resolving issues that concerned them, rather than taking to protests at any provocation, thereby causing more injury and damage to themselves and other citizens.
The SUG president noted that “some young army trainees” were moving from one ATM point to another at UNIBEN to withdraw the new naira notes, while telling students who had been in the queue for hours to give way for them.
Amadin said: “In one of the ATM stands, one of our students, who had been in the queue for a long time, refused to give way, and claimed she was making a video with her phone about the soldiers’ actions.
“The campus was peaceful, until the army trainees decided to unleash beating and dehumanising assault on the student and others around, which led to intervention from the personnel of UNIBEN’s security department, who attempted to de-escalate the already-tensed situation, but were also met with dehumanising treatment from the army trainees, in which some members of the security department were assaulted.
“This led to some level of resistance from the students and security department to restrain one of the army trainees, who was attempting to cause further assault on campus and even threatened to bring more soldiers to come and cause rampage on campus.
“We will trust the university’s authorities to handle the matter closely, and that no one who should be punished will be left untouched. The altercation between UNIBEN’s students and the army trainees should not have occurred, if our banks had ensured that the ATMs are properly filled with cash.”
SUG president of UNIBEN also assured that students of the Federal Government-owned university were intellectuals, law abiding citizens, and patriotic Nigerians, who would always respect the soldiers for their sacrifices, but would not be cowed into suppression by anybody or groups.
Amadin stated that while calling for calm among UNIBEN’s students, he expected the army authorities to take the clash seriously, thereby ensuring justice.
The Spokesman of 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, Capt. Yemi Sokoya, promised to get details of the incident.
When contacted through the phone, Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwabuzor, a Superintendent of Police (SP), disclosed that he was in Abuja, and could not give details of the clash.
Edo Deputy Police Public Relations Officer (DPPRO) Jennifer Iwegbu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), however, confirmed the clash between UNIBEN’s students and some soldiers, but maintained that peace had returned to the university’s main campus and its environs, while urging residents of the state to always give peace a chance.