The Police in Ekiti State said on Tuesday night that they had recovered a weapon from one of the protesting students of Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, Caleb Ikechukwu, stated that “a weapon has been recovered from the protesting student”.

This was as the management disclosed that three students were injured in the course of the protest, disclosing that the one with a serious injury was being hospitalised at Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.

Ikechukwu stated in a statement that the university authorities had closed down the institution temporarily “for normalcy to return”.

The police spokesperson said,

“The Senate of the University have proscribed the Students’ Union Government of FUOYE and the students are to vacate the campus”.

Meanwhile, the university management, in a statement on Tuesday night, said,

“We hereby condemn the violence that has followed the protest by the students of FUOYE to register their pleasure on the epileptic power supply from BEDC to the communities of Oye and Ikole.

“Our findings revealed that the students gathered themselves and blocked the Abuja-Ado, and Ijan -Ikole High ways from the early hours of today, September 10, 2019 till about 2pm.

“Thereafter, after much persuasions by the University’s internal security personnel and the federal security agencies, they dispersed only for the news to get to the university authority thereafter that the students assaulted the convoy of the wife of the Governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and vandalized some vehicles in the convoy.

“Sensing that her Excellency was under attack in view of the continued aggression of the students, the security personnel attached to her convoy had to repel the attack and some students were injured in the process.

“Similarly some policemen also sustained injuries and their rifles were also seized. As at this evening, three students were injured with two of them having minor injuries and one having a severe abdominal injury and is currently hospitalized at FETHI”.

Consequently, the management,

“at an emergency meeting discussed and reviewed the behaviour of the students which included the destruction of vehicles and burning of a police van as well as the threat to lives” and shut the university with immediate effect.

The management stated,

“Students are therefore ordered to vacate the university premises on or before, Wednesday, Sept 11, 2019.The students Union is hereby proscribed”.

However, the SUG, in a statement, made available by its President, Oluwaseun Awodola, said that the students’ protest had ended hours before the incident happened.

The students’ body traced the incident to an alleged assault on the SUG President, by one of the aides of the governor’s wife.

The statement read,

“The Governor’s CSO came to address the issue and apologized, but the students insisted the security personnel that slapped the President should come out to apologise, but his refusal to apologise caused misunderstanding.

“During the process, the security personnel started shooting at the students and as well threw tear gas cannisters.

“When the Governor’s wife was about to leave, the policemen started shooting again and during the process, a student was killed and others are seriously injured.”