The University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt was shutdown on Monday, 11th April 2016 following the violence that ensued after the Students of the institution protested an alleged policy made by the management of the University that the school fees must be paid before they would be allowed to write their first semester examination. The policy generated series of protest by the students which halted academic and administrative activities in the University.
Professor Sunday Lale, the current Vice Chancellor of the Institution, was summoned by the students to address them and reverse the policy but the VC refused.
However, the last staged protest before the shutdown was said to have lead to the death of two students of the university and injury of Six. One of the student deceased students identified as Peter Ofurun was said to have been hit by a bullet from a policeman and was a student in the Faculty of Management science before his untimely death.
Another Student, who is yet to be identified, was also claimed to have been hit by a bullet and was rushed to the hospital but had died before getting to the hospital. The protesting students claimed that the policy was a form of victimisation adding that the dwindling economy of the nation is what resulted in the Untimely non-payment of fees by some students.
The senate of the University though has since shut down the university with immediate effect stressed that they were not expelling any student but those that did not make their payment within the stipulated time will have to carry their courses over and repeat the entire year. Student union activities were also suspended indefinitely. The closure of the University is expected to last for One month but the protesting students stated they would prefer the school to be shut down until the management accepts their position on the matter.
A Similar issue also occurred at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) on Saturday where the students of the institution staged a violent protest over the alleged murder of one of their colleagues with the named Afolabi Daniel Ojo who was said to have been hit by a commercial motorcyclist. The deceased was a 200L student in the Department of Economics Education.
The students mobilised and staged a protest, demanding for the motorcyclist that allegedly killed their colleague which then lead to a commotion between the students and the indigenes of the Akungba community. This action also impeded vehicular movement and crippled business activities.
However, there are claims that following the accident, the deceased was taken to the health centre of the school where the nurses refused to attend to him. After which, he was then taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo where he finally died.
The University Authorities through the Registrar, Mr. Sunday Ayeerun, then announced the closure of the University due to the protest staged inside the campus. However, the date of resumption was said to be communicated to the students later.
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