UNIJOS closed, students 'shot', arrested as soldiers smash protest

A number of protesting students of the University of Jos have been shot and arrested by soldiers according to media reports. UNIJOS students were protesting increase in fees. They have now been asked to vacate the school premises: Soldiers have reportedly shot and arrested some students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) as they protested over increases in fees and levies » entered the second day. The protesting students this afternoon set fire in front of the school gate. It marked a significant violent turn yesterday’s protest » during which they blocked major roads leading to UNIJOS, effectively stalling activities in the area. Reports say soldiers were called in to control the protesters. Claims are being made that some students were shot and many others arrested. According to the Public Relations Officer Student Union Government (SUG), Longgun Dakwon, who spoke with Daily Trust, soldiers invaded the school premises, shot and arrested some students. "I narrowly escaped; the military came into our classes and shot some of us while some were arrested," Dakwom said. The shooting was corroborated by another student quoted in the report. "I saw one shot on the leg and another in the chest," he said. UNIJOS students had on Monday ignored their exams scheduled to begin the same day and staged a massive protest demanding » that the management remove levies and reduce all other fees. “We are calling for the removal of N10,000 development levy from our school fees payment and the reduction of N25,000 acceptance fees for admission," the SUG President, Nnok Nduu Abel, told journalists yesterday. Following the protests, the school management has shut UNIJOS indefinitely and ordered the students to leave the premises with immediate. -Anger Spillover- After day one of the protests, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Hayward Mafuyai, denied the purported increase in fees. "There is absolutely no plans by the University of Jos to review any school fees. If you hear any rumours around, then it is an evil rumour" Mafuyai had said. He also announced a one-week shift in the examination time table to allow for dialogue between the students and the management. But like Student Pulse reported yesterday, the students were not ready for a compromise, promising to "sacrifice for those coming behind". » This may be the reason why today’s protest went out of hand, leading to arrests and 'shootings'. The arrested students have been moved the Special Task Force (STF) headquarters in Plateau state. Student Pulse could not get an official statement with regards to the alleged shooting or the location of the arrested students