The University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday counted its loses as the state Police Command said one student died in the Wednesday’s protest by students of the institution.
It was also learnt that the offices of the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Exams/Records and Council Affairs were burnt by the students who were protesting the introduction of fee in their General Studies, an increment in bus fare.
Hard disks were said to have been removed from computers in the Computer Maintenance Department, 12 vehicles were vandalized, and the Finance and Accounts, students accounts, and cash offices broken into.
The state police commissioner, Mr. Umar Gwadabe, who confirmed the death, told our correspondent that 45 students had been arrested.
He said, “If not for the prompt response of the police, students from Calabar and Bida, who infiltrated the UNIUYO students’ population, would have unleashed mayhem on the city of Uyo.”
Branch Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNIUYO, Mr. Anyim Nwachukwu, said what happened was beyond his comprehension.
He stated that the union members were to have a meeting when the protest started.
He said, “What we know for now is that there was crisis in the campus yesterday. But from the information we received, some lives were lost. The students in turn razed school property.
“We discovered that some offices of my colleagues had been broken into and some things stolen. We can’t still be definite about the damage.”
The Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Edak Umondak, said the school did not authorise any policeman to shoot students.
