Authorities of the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) Ondo State yesterday closed down the institution indefinitely following the violence which erupted in the school campus, when students went on rampage allegedly to draw the attention of the management to recent happenings in the college.
Consequently, the college authorities directed all students to proceed immediately on mid-semester break till further notice.
The statement sent to journalists through text message reads: "In view of the unprecedented wanton destruction of college and staff properties, the management hereby declares an indefinite mid semester break till further notice. All students are to vacate the college premises and the hostels with immediate effect."
The students had gone on rampage over alleged mysterious death of some students and workers of the institution in recent time.
The students' protest, THISDAY learnt, led to the destruction of not less than 50 vehicles belong to students, staff and workers of banks in the institution premises including that of the provost, Professor Adeyemi Idowu. The banks and eateries in the institution were also said to have been vandalised by the rampaging students, who broke glasses and doors just as school buildings were not spared.
A student of the institution, who craved anonymity, said the protest ensued when an National Certification of Education (NCE) 200 Level Biology student, collapsed during lecture period but was rushed to the school health centre. However, the officers at the health centre were said to have demanded for the clinic card of the student before they could attend to him even while bleeding.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mr. Moses Akinfolarin, said the students acted on impulse as a result of false information being peddled around by their colleagues.
He said: "It is not true that 20 students had died mysteriously. We only had a record of about two students who died in unrelated circumstances. There is nothing mysterious about the two deaths so far reported to the management."
Equally, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Aremu Adeniran, described the crisis as an internal issue between the students and the management.
Adeniran said men of the state command had been drafted to the school and had stationed outside the campus to ensure that the crisis did not spread outside their school.
We are however on top of the situation and had ensured normal flow of traffic."
Miffed by the response of the health officials, the students were alleged to have rushed to the office of the students' union president but was not available while effort to also see the provost of the institution was also proved abortive.
The students were thereafter said to have reacted spontaneously by going on rampage to draw the attention of the school authority to the incidents.
According to the student, 20 members of the college community including students and staff have died mysteriously in recent time.
"The protest started as a spontaneous reaction to the build-up tension on campus in the last one month. Many of our colleagues were dropping dead mysteriously and the management has done nothing to address," he said.
The students chanted solidarity songs as they relocated to the main road in front of their campus after vandalising virtually all the structures on their campus including the classrooms, eateries, and banks.
They blocked the Ondo-Ore expressway and caused serious traffic congestion with their bonfire.
They did not also allow members of staff to go out of their offices as they were seen throwing stones at the offices as at 5:30pm.
