Three students of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGIPO), were reportedly shot during a clash between students of the school and the police command at the Owo local government area of Ondo State.
DailyPost reports that the victims were accidentally shot during the clash which began when a private car of a police officer allegedly hit two students in the town.
The police were accused of abandoning the victims after the car crash. The students then embarked on a protest to the Police Station, B Division at Otapete.
During the protest, the police, with the use of tear gas and sporadic shooting, attempted to disperse the students. The victims were reportedly hit by the bullets.
This intensified the protest as students reacted by destroying residents and vandalizing cars parked in the station.
According to eyewitness reports, the students were seen burning tyres at the main gate of the school, Fasawe and white House areas, which are mainly occupied by the students.
The police were eventually able get a hold of the situation after an armored tank was brought in to clear the blocked road.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph confirmed the story while alleging that the students attacked the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Akande and that he was presently on a critical condition.
Joseph added that the students were not truthful when they blamed the police for hitting and abandoning their colleagues.
“The police vehicle that hit the students was not deliberately done; it was a total lie that the driver abandoned the students, because he immediately took the victims to a hospital and they are currently receiving treatment," he said.
The Polytechnic director of Information Protocol and Public Relations Unit (IPPPR) Mr. Olumide Olugosi, however, said no student died during the protest.
Source:PulseNG
