The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday slammed the military for the harassment of protesting students of the University of Ibadan.

Students protesting the ongoing ASUU strike at the University of Ibadan’s main gate in Oyo State had clashed with a team of Nigerian Army personnel who attempted to run them over.

In a statement titled: “NEED FOR EXTREME CAUTION, DEMOCRATIC CIVILITY, AND SENSITIVITY IN HANDING STUDENT PROTESTS,” signed by its Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Adelaja Odukoya, the union condemned the military and the Nigeria Police Force’s activities thus far and urged the forces’ high command to caution their agents who have attempted attacks on students.

Odukoya said: “The army and police have constitutional responsibilities to protect and not attack, maim or brutalise protesting students across the country. There are more than enough pains, anguish, and bloodshed in the land on account of the government’s failure; to allow security indiscretion to cause the death of a single student will be unconscionable and unacceptable.

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“ASUU Lagos Zone wishes to use this opportunity to call on both the Nigerian Army and Police to rein in their officers with trigger happy disposition towards popular protests, particularly legitimate protests of students. This is in view of the ongoing protests forced upon students who have been out of their classrooms as a consequence of government insensitivity to the more three months old ASUU strike.”

ASUU declared its support for the students’ protests, saying it was monitoring the demonstrations across the country.

“The use of an army van to crush students at the University of Ibadan (UI) gate today is ugly, condemnable, and humiliating.

“Security personnel appear to have learned nothing beneficial from the #ENDSARS protests. It cannot be stressed enough that kids, like other people, have constitutionally protected rights to demonstrate,” the union added.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday urged the ASUU members to consider the plight of students and suspend their ongoing strike.

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