The Nigeria Police Force in Osun State has confirmed the arrest of two persons over the alleged attack on the Ijebu-Jesa Divisional Headquarters during a protest staged by students of Interlink College of Health Technology, Ijebu-Jesa.
The protest followed the death of a National Diploma II student of the institution, identified simply as Oluwaseun, who reportedly died in a road accident on Wednesday.
Oluwaseun, a student of the Mass Communication Department, was said to have been travelling on a motorcycle from Ilesa to Ijebu-Jesa when a bus allegedly hit the motorcycle, leading to his death.
Tension reportedly escalated shortly after the incident as angry students gathered at the accident scene and demanded that the driver of the bus involved be handed over to them.
Viral video clips circulating online showed students confronting police officers who had arrived at the scene to restore order.
The protesters were also accused of attempting to set the bus ablaze before security operatives dispersed them with teargas.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, alleged that some of the students later stormed the Ijebu-Jesa Divisional Headquarters and attacked officers on duty.
According to him, police personnel had moved swiftly to secure the accident scene immediately after receiving reports of the crash.
“Immediately the information was received that an accident had occurred, the police mobilised to the scene. In the course of trying to secure the accident scene, people began to gather and, before we knew what was happening, they set fire to a loaf of bread soaked in petrol and threw it under the bus involved in the accident,” Ojelabi said.
He explained that officers were able to extinguish the fire and move the vehicle to the police station, adding that efforts had earlier been made by two Divisional Police Officers and the town monarch to calm the protesting students.
“However, not long after the vehicle was moved to the station, some of them went to the Ijebu-Jesa Divisional Headquarters and attacked personnel there. They broke a vehicle windscreen and assaulted our officers. We arrested two of them, and investigation is ongoing. Those arrested have been transferred to the headquarters in Osogbo,” he added.
Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased student were laid to rest on Thursday in Iwoye Ijesa, Osun State, during funeral rites attended by many of his colleagues and sympathisers.
