The zonal convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) held in Osun State College of Education (OSCOED) in Ilesa, Osun State, was marred by violence, leaving many students injured. Guns boomed as two factional NANS presidents attempted to hijack the event, leading to a bloody clash at the venue. TEMITOPE YAKUBU reports.
The convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Zone D held last weekend in Osun State started peacefully. Midway into the event, violence broke out and the affair turned bloody. Hell was let loose as guns boomed, leaving delegates running in different directions. Many students were injured. It was at the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED) in Ilesa.
CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the violence ensued when two factional leaders of NANS led their supporters to the convention at which a new leadership was to be inaugurated for the zone. The convention came months after the tenure of the outgoing leadership expired. The delegates were Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents from various tertiary institutions in the Southwest of the country.
Our correspondent gathered that violence broke out when the supporters of the two factional presidents of the association – Aruna Kadiri of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Chinonso Obasi of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki – tried to hijack the convention.
It was learnt that the supporters of the Aruna-led faction were the first to arrive at the convention venue, after which Chinonso came with his supporters.
The fracas, however, broke out when the organisers asked the NANS president to address the delegates and candidates vying for positions in the zonal leadership. It was gathered that Chinonso’s supporters disrupted the event when Aruna got up to address the delegates. The ensuing argument snowballed into a free-for-all.
Dangerous weapons were freely used by hoodlums loyal to the opposing camps. Shots were fired, leaving delegates scampering for safety. Some students were stabbed, while others were injured as they fled the scene.
The outgoing coordinator of NANS in Zone D, Okikiola Ogunsola, accused the two factional presidents of hooliganism, saying it was wrong for the duo to try using the convention ground to test their strength and acceptability.
Okikiola noted that neither of the opposing factions was invited to the event because of the need to avoid crisis, adding that their presence at Zone A’s convention held last month led to chaos which prompted the organisers to postpone the event.
He said: “Our convention was going on peacefully before the arrival of the two factional NANS presidents. We noticed that both of them came to the convention with the aim to test their strength and acceptability among students. They came with the intention of turning the convention centre to a battleground for their selfish interest.
“Neither of them was invited to our convention, even though we recognise Aruna as the authentic president. We foresaw a possible clash between the two camps just as they clashed during the Zone A’s convention. Let it be on the record that both factional presidents came to the Zone D’s convention uninvited. We regret that the convention ended in violence. We have postponed it indefinitely.”
The outgoing Zone D coordinator pointed accusing finger at Chinonso for causing violence, saying the factional NANS leader led “a group of thugs” to disrupt the event because of Aruna’s presence.
Chinonso denied that he caused the violence, saying he did not have any preferred candidate in the election. He accused Okikiola of collecting money from Aruna in order to allow him address the delegates as the “authentic president” of the association.
He said: “I had just returned from Ghana where I led 30 Nigerian students to the Africa Students’ Union conference. We were informed about the convention on our way back to the country. On arriving at the convention venue, we had already heard there was crisis on ground because Aruna gave the outgoing coordinator a sum of N200,000 to address the delegates, with the aim to declare himself as the authentic NANS president. The move was resisted by the students at the event.
“Immediately we got to the venue, everybody, including the delegates, came out to receive my team. The violence started when students discovered that the organisers collected money from someone who is not a student but has been parading himself as NANS president. There was no way we could have caused the violence when we came in.”
Asked if he was formally invited to the convention, Chinonso parried the question, saying any student has a right to attend NANS convention.
Being the “bonafide NANS president”, Aruna said he needed not to be invited to the convention, before attending it.
He said: “As the bonafide NANS president, I don’t need to be invited to be at any convention organised by any arm of the association. It is within my power to attend any zonal convention which is what I did yesterday (Saturday). All the students were happy when I addressed them and told them to be peaceful during the election.”
Aruna denied having any confrontation with Chinonso, adding that his opponent’s supporters clashed with the NANS stakeholders in the zone, thereby disrupting the election process.
He added: “It was the clash of interests between Chinonso and NANS stakeholders in the zone that led to the violence. Any contrary reason given as the cause of the violence is a lie. I never had any confrontation with Chinonso; I did not even see him at the convention ground. I was told some students were stabbed by Chinonso and his thugs.”
AbdulAzeez Arisekola Dauda, a Federal Polytechnic, Ede student, who was at the convention, condemned the violence, describing it as “a show of shame” and “barbaric conduct by future leaders”.
AbdulAzeez said the “shameful conducts” of both factional leaders of NANS did a disservice to the spirit of recently passed Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill, wondering how the youth would become good leaders with negative mindsets.
He said: “I witnessed everything that transpired at the convention ground. Both factional presidents put up shameful conducts in a bid to outshine each other. They both led armed thugs to the event and turned the convention to their battle field. Given what I saw, we need to ask ourselves if the youth are ready to change the foundation of our politics. For me, the conducts of the NANS leaders at the convention showed we are far from being ready to take up political leadership.
“After witnessing the show of shame at the NANS convention, I think we need to stop deceiving ourselves thinking that the youth have the proper mindsets to take up leadership position in the country. NANS is factionalised because some of its leaders are working for their faceless political godfathers. Their aims are to use the students’ platform to feather their nests. For the country to reach its promised land, the youth must change from being agents of destruction.”
CAMPUSLIFE gathered that some injured students were taken to the hospital by security operatives deployed to quell the violence. Some of the candidates were stabbed, while others were hit with hard materials.
A delegate, Adio Odunjo, who escaped being stabbed, confirmed many students were injured, but he could not give a definite number.
He said: “It was like a horror film when the event turned violent. I was highly disappointed in both factions. The event was supposed to be a gathering of people with robust ideas. The thugs turned the convention to their battle ground. After injuring students, they started to point accusing finger at each other. Why should NANS be synonymous with violence, greed and self-centeredness?”
