The
leadership of the Lagos State Police Command has been accused of
framing up some students of the University of Lagos, Akoka for
organizing a peaceful protest.
The management of Lagos-based television station, Television Continental (TVC), on Sunday disputed police claim that 13 students of the University of Lagos were remanded in Kirikiri prison over claims of an unlawful invasion of the television facility at the Ikosi neighborhood of Lagos.
“The Management of Continental Broadcasting Service Limited
(owners of TVC) refutes these stories and categorically states that TVC
has no hand in the arrest of the students.
“TVC did not at any point report or lodge any complaint at the police station,” remarked Abisola Agbaje, the legal manager of TVC in a press release in Lagos.
Ms. Agbaje said, “Truly, the Students came into our premises on
Friday the 31st of March, 2017 on or about3 p.m. to protest the
“alleged rustication by UNILAG”.
“The protest was peaceful which we have on record and the students left our premises peacefully.”
She explained that the report of the protest was yet to be aired
because as at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, UNILAG authorities were yet to
respond to the allegation, and that “as a responsible media
organisation, reputed for fair and balance reportage we had to hold on
until we get UNILAG authorities side of the story.”
Ms. Agbaje’s position was corroborated by the deputy chief
executive of the station, Lemi Olalemi, who, non-plussed at police
claims, said the students who came to the facility were “really well behaved and did not do anything untoward to warrant arrest in my opinion.”
He joined Ms. Agbaje to “call on the Nigerian Police to step
forward and state when, and if TVC indeed lodged a formal complaint that
led to the arrest of the students.”
PREMIUM TIMES learnt the students, protesting the rustication for
two semesters of a visually-impaired student, Lawrence Success, were
arrested on Friday and charged to a mobile court on Saturday for
criticizing the institution’s management.
The magistrate ordered their remand at Kirikiri Prison pending
their bail application and adjourned the case to April 6, for
determination of their bail.
The institution’s semester examination is scheduled to begin on
Monday. The police prosecuting counsel, Effiong Asuquo, the Officer in
Charge, Legal, of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department, Panti, had told the court that the accused committed the
offence on March 31.
He said the accused engaged in “riotous invasion” of TVC, protesting the alleged rustication of one of their students.
According to him, the students also invaded the main campus of the
University of Lagos, Akoka, and disrupted normal activities in the
institution.
The prosecutor said the alleged invasion by the students was a ploy to stall commencement of exams.
He said the offence contravened Section 168 (1) (d), and Section 2 of the Criminal Law, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.