Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the wife of the Ekiti State governor on Wednesday gave a full account of what happened at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) on Tuesday denying the allegation that she ordered her security details to shoot at the protesting students.
She said she never met the students protesting as they had already dispersed before she got to the town for her programme.
The Ekiti State first lady on her verified Twitter handle explained that she was shocked to learn that she was alleged to have directed her security personnel to shoot at the students.
The students of the university had on Tuesday stormed the streets of Oye-Ekiti to protest alleged poor power supply in the town.
But the protest was said to have turned violent as hoodlums allegedly hijacked it and attacked the convoy of the wife of the governor during which one person was said to have been killed.
Eyewitness accounts said the hoodlums engaged the security agencies in the convoy and vandalised no fewer than 10 vehicles.
But Mrs Fayemi, who expressed sadness over the impact of the violent attack, denied being present when the incident occurred.
She said the programme was about halfway when she heard that the students wanted to forcefully entered the hall but were prevented by security operatives from entering.
Mrs Fayemi said, “When my convoy got to the Oye-Isan junction, we were met by a convoy of excited Okada riders who led us into Oye town. We made a stop at the primary healthcare centre along the road for me to present delivery kits to pregnant women.
“There was no sign of any trouble. We proceeded to the venue of my town hall meeting at the civic centre with women in Oye Local Government. The atmosphere was very peaceful, the women were singing and dancing and there was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss.
“I stopped at the tent erected for the mobile health clinic in front of the civic centre to greet the elderly patients who were being attended to, and I also went to greet the beneficiaries of the Food Bank for the elderly project (Ounje Arugbo), who were assembled under another tent. I then proceeded into the hall for the program. Half-way through our event, there was a disturbance outside. The FUOYE students (and possibly infiltrated by local thugs) had re-grouped and were trying to get into the venue.
“The security officers prevented this from happening. We finished our program, and by the time we got outside, we found that vehicles from my convoy and those of my guests that were parked outside the venue had been vandalised.
“As we were driving out of Oye town, we encountered at least two roadblocks that the students had mounted to prevent the movement of vehicles. I could see students/thugs throwing stones and large sticks at us as we drove by.
“However, the casualties that were recorded did not take place while I was there. There are eye-witnesses, photographs and video footage to confirm this. There are reports circulating that the crisis occurred because I refused to address the protesting students.
“This is totally false. I did not encounter any group of students when I got to Oye town. They had dispersed before my arrival, and when they regrouped I was inside the venue. I am scandalised and shocked beyond words to hear that I instructed security officers to shoot at students.”
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
