Nigerian college students in violent protest; burn clinic, eight vehicles

A protest by students of the College of Education Gindirin, Plateau State turned violent on Thursday leading to the burning of a clinic and at least eight vehicles.

Following the protest, the management of the institution located in Mangu Local Government Area shut the school indefinitely.

The spokesperson of the institution, Elizabeth Aboreng, confirmed shutting of the school to PREMIUM TIMES, via telephone interview.

She said the decision by the management was to curtail further destruction of property.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the students protested the delay in the issuance of their school identity cards, which they claimed they had paid for.

The identity cards, according to the protesting students, was to be used in identifying students to be allowed into examination halls.

A student, who pleaded not to be named for fear of being victimised, said the school management said the school management was also short-changing the students.

He said even though the students paid health centre fees, they are still made to pay huge sums when in need of medical care at the school clinic.

The institution has no students union and thus no one to officially speak for the protesting students.

In reaction to the protest, the spokesperson of the institution, Elizabeth Aboreng, confirmed the violence to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview.

“We ran for our lives, the students were violent,” she said.

“The institution’s internal security could not contain the situation, they (students) burnt down our school clinic with two ambulances. They also destroyed and set ablaze six other cars belonging to staff.

“We had to invite security agencies, but they had already caused the havoc. The shutting of the institution is indefinite till further notice,” she said.

The spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Terna Tyopev also confirmed the protest. He said no life was, however, lost in the violence.