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Polytechnic students protesting exams suspension shot in Jos

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Several students of Plateau State Polytechnic, Jos campus, were on Monday allegedly shot by military personnel during a protest at their school gate along Yakubu Gowon Way.

The students were protesting the suspension of their examination which was to commence on Monday.

The protesting students, who blocked the road early on Monday morning, said they were not told about the suspension of the examination, saying many of them slept in the school classes on Sunday reading for the examination.

They were concerned that they have been having strikes, suspension of academic activities and examination alike for a while now, lamenting that they were spending more years on their programmes.

During the protest, however, many security personnel arrived and began shooting sporadically, thereby injuring many students in the process.

According to Dailytrust, some asthmatic students suffered attacks from the tear gas shot to disperse the students.

Our correspondents visited some of the injured students at the Plateau State hospital and a private hospital by the old airport junction.

Among the students shot are Azi Nyam Waziri (by the side of his stomach) and Usendok Samuel Godwin whom bullet pierced his forehead.

Waziri told our correspondents that he still have the bullet(s) inside him, while Godwin said he could not even tell if the bullet is in his skull or just pierced through, as he was brought to the hospital unconscious.

Usendok Samuel Godwin claims the bullet pierced his forehead

Meanwhile, the students union officials and school spokesperson could not comment when contacted, as they were at the Government House having a meeting with the government officials over the issue in an effort to find an amicable solution.

When contacted, however, the spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major Ishaku Takwa, said no soldier fired any bullet on the students, explaining that soldiers went to the area to dismantle the roadblock mounted by the students.

He said: “As you know, Jos has not recovered yet from the recent upheavals.

“We have it that whoever wants to embark on protest, the person must be cleared by the government. They haven’t done that.

“They went straight to the major road leading to the southeast and blocked. This can generate fears in the state and even to the road users.”

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