Student protesting tuition hike shot dead in Kaduna as African Action Congress, students condemn attack
A student of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been reportedly shot dead.
The deceased had joined his colleagues, who were protesting hike in school fees, when security operatives made attempt to disperse them forcefully.
One of the protesters, who preferred anonymity, said they came out to protest over the increase in school fees in the state-owned institution when they met security operatives outside the college.
Citizens Compass could not ascertain what led to the shooting.
The incident has been generating responses from human rights groups and students.
African Action Congress, university students condemn attack
The African Action Congress in a statement signed by its
National Publicity Secretary, Femi Adeyeye, said:
“AAC CONDEMNS THE VIOLENT ACTS OF THE EL RUFAI REGIME AS SECURITY FORCES ATTACK STUDENTS, KILL YET-TO-BE-CONFIRMED NUMBER OF PEACEFUL PROTESTERS, PROTESTING HIKE IN SCHOOL FEES
It is another sad day for our supposed democracy as a yet-to-be-confirmed number of students of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have just been reported killed by armed security agents who were dispersing peaceful protesters forcefully, today 28th June 2021.
We condemn the use of brute force on protesters, call for the immediate arrest of the erring officers and the total reversal of the hike in school fees that has made life unbearable for the students.
The astronomical hike is not different from what is currently obtainable at the Kaduna State University (increase from 27,000 to 100,000) where students and their parents have just been recently asked to sign off their rights to protest. This is nothing but barbaric.
One death too many. And we at the AAC are forced to ask the El Rufai and Buhari governments if Nigerians are regarded as humans at all?
From the rise in food prices, rent, transportation cost, electricity tariff, fuel price, VAT/arbitrary taxes to the unreasonable rise in school fees, the welfare of Nigerians which is supposed to be the primary objective of government has been abandoned. The standard of living has dramatically dropped.
However, the things that have not suffered any downfall under this regime are the humongous salaries, allowances, and “security votes” appropriated to government officials.
To then add to this suffering is the murderous act of the regime towards a people protesting their suffering.
We call on the Governor Nasir El Rufai to halt all increments, anti-students’ and anti-workers’ polices. The Governor must also disembark on this journey of force and bring to book the erring officers who killed the college students.
In the face of irrefutable evidence and facts, we maintain unapologetically that this regime has lost legitimacy and must be sent packing by the generality of our people.
The African Action Congress, positioned as a vanguard of struggle, call on Nigerian students all over to organize themselves as a force of resistance against the numerous attacks on their rights to freely assemble, associate, express themselves and to be educated in environments that are safe and conducive for learning.
Also, the need has risen now more than before, for students to organize outside the wretched leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as it is presently constituted. Students’ freedom can not be tied to the hustling aprons of hustlers.
Solidarity with Nigerian students! “
Signed:
Femi Adeyeye
National Publicity Secretary,
African Action Congress
Similarly, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (NAUS), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, said:
“WE CONDEMN THE UNJUST KILLING OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS BY THE EL-RUFAI LED KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT
The report of the unjust attack and eventual killing of Nigerian students by the Nigerian Police under the directive of the unrepentant governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai, has gotten to the National Secretariat of the National Association Of University Students (NAUS).
It should be noted that the reckless and anti-people government of El-Rufai in Kaduna state had made an unporpular increment of tuition fee of the state’s owned institutions. This retrogressive decision of the government had met a counter action by the students in the state and hence resorting to a lawful protest action stating clearly the demand for the reversal of the fees. The unrepentant governor rather than addressing the issue, had made a war declaration on the innocent students leading to uncivil attack and shooting of the protesting students. It has been gathered that a student of of the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been shot dead in the ongoing protest in the state.
We are not caught by surprise as the government of El-Rufai is popularly known for its infamous policies such as non payment of salary of civil servants, illegal victimisation of labour leaders, increment in tuition fees among many other anti-people policies he had since so far made.
This backward reaction of the Kaduna state government is therefore totally condemned and shall be equally rejected by the National Association of University Students (NAUS) with all legal and political actions.
We therefore call that the officers involved in the shootings should be arrested and prosecuted without delay.
Governor El-Rufai has declared war on the masses in Kaduna state and he shall face the consequences thereof.
We make a clarion call on all Labour Unions, Civil Societies, Human rights organisations and well meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against this injustices.
A luta Continua!”
Soneye Abdul-Azeez Lekan LAS
NAUS NATIONAL PRO
