Activists Demand Justice As Police Teargas Lands Students In Hospital

Yusuf Oketola

HUMAN rights activists have condemned what they described as assault on Fakunle/Unity High School students by riot policemen at PMF 39 Base, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Tuesday.

The policemen, OSUN DEFENDER gathered, fired teargas during their morning drill within the premises of the base, which filtered into the premises of the school.

The students inhaled the teargas and subsequently became unconscious, a development that led to commotion as students were seeing trooping out of their various classrooms.

No fewer than 35 students of the school were hospitalized at two different hospitals.

Some of the affected students were said to have been taken to a private hospital close to the school while others where rushed to Osun State University Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH) with the aid of Osun Ambulance Service.

The incident paralysed academic activities as other students were directed to go home.

When contacted, the Spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said the riot policemen were engaging in their usual morning drills and apologised to students affected.

“We are sorry for the inconveniences,” Opalola said.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Adelani Aderinola, through the Information Officer, Roseline Olawuni, said the mobile policemen were holding a memorial exercise in honour of their fallen colleagues in Benue State when they used the teargas.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman, Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Comrade Waheed Lawal, described the conduct of the policemen as barbaric, stating that fearing teargas near a school premises without any riot is totally uncivilised.

According to Lawal, the policemen’s conduct spoke volume about their care for civilians and environment, maintaining that it was a height of insensitivity to fire teargas in an open space filled with harmless people.

He said: “The conduct of the riot policemen at PMF 39 Base, Osogbo, on Tuesday which led to hospitalization of some students of Fakunle/Unity High School is totally condemnable. Fearing teargas near a school premises is barbaric and uncivilised.

“We need not to question their state of mind as regard respect for civilians and human rights. Their conduct speaks volume about how they feel about ordinary Nigerians. How would you have fired teargas in an open space filled with harmless Nigerians, students for that matter? That is uncalled for.

“However, we call on the Inspector General of Police to call the riot policemen to order and compensate the affected students.”

Also, the Secretary Centre for Social Justice and Public Protection, Comrade Naheem Olaore, chided the policemen, describing their conduct as an assault on the students and education.

Olaore, in a statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said: “It is shocking that at this age, policemen could be firing teargas near student premises. We considered it a direct attack on the students and education.

“We don’t need to be told that the policemen didn’t care for the rights of the students and other people. We demand justice on this; we want the police to apologise to the students, their parents and the school. We equally want the police to take care of the hospital bills for the treatment of the students.