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| The Lifeless Body of Peter Ofurum with gun shot wounds |
A prominent student of the University of Port Harcourt
(UNIPORT) has been shot dead by the Police in a school protest.
The deceased, Peter Ofurum, was the President of the Faculty
of Management Sciences. He met his untimely death on Monday, April 11, 2016 as
students of the university held a peaceful protest against increment in school
fees and the “no school fees-no examination” policy of the school.
Anger and outrage continued to linger after the shooting and
killing of late Peter Ofurum, the newly elected President of the Faculty of the
Management Science Students of the University of Port Harcourt by a yet-to-be
identified policeman during peaceful protest against school fees hike.
An eyewitness who spoke under anonymity said Police officers who
were brought into the school premises to maintain law and order during the
peaceful protests fired several shots at the deceased which resulted to his
death.
Students protested the killing of Ofurum and went on rampage
destroying school property
Ken
Atsuwete, a Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer has condemned the killing
of Peter Ofurum at pointblank range during the peaceful protest.
“To the
best of my knowledge, the UNIPORT students were out there for a peaceful
demonstration against the hike in school fees. It was peaceful and I personally
drove past them. The protesting students themselves were directing motorists
during their peaceful protest. There was no need for the police to have come
with violence. If there is anything the police needed to do, it is to protect
the protesting students from harm and to protect lives and property while
dispersing the crowd.”
Atswuete
also condemned UNIPORT management for inviting the police to unleash mayhem on
the students in a peaceful protest, stressing that, many families are going
through economic hardship.
“We are
victims of the present economic hardship so when the UNIPORT management
surreptitiously increase school fees they should understand the situation. Many
parents and guardian have not been paid for months and scarcity of fuel coupled
with other harsh economic situation are enough to trigger peaceful protests
just as the students have done.
“Why
should the UNIPORT invite members of the anti-robbery squad of the Rivers
Police command,” he quizzed again.
The human
rights lawyer then vowed to institute a legal action against UNIPORT and the
police on behalf deceased students.
Also,
Anyankwe Nsirimovu, Director, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law,
IHRHL, based in Port Harcourt also condemned the use of brute force of arms to
quell a peaceful protest by unarmed students.
The human
rights activist called on the Rivers State Command to fish out the
trigger-happy policeman that shot and killed Peter Ofurum.
He
condemned the idea of killing innocent youths. He pointed that another
unresolved murder was that of late Dumebi Okonta, a corps member who was killed
in Rivers state during the March 19 rerun election.
Meanwhile,
The Senate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on Monday evening announced
the closure of the institution following a violent students’ protest over a new
school fees policy that prevented some students from writing examinations.
A text
message from the Spokesman and Deputy Registrar (Information) of the
university, Dr. Williams Wodi, said, “Senate has shut down the University with
immediate effect. All students directed to vacate their hostel accommodation
before 6.00pm today (Monday). Students’ Union and all their affiliate bodies
suspended with immediate effect. The closure will last for one month.”
He
however said the university was yet to confirm the death of any student.
He said
the institution was aware of the death of three persons in the last two days
outside the campus, but said investigations were on to determine if any of the
victims was a student.
“Yesterday,
a mobile policeman was shot outside the campus. Also yesterday, a person
suspected to be a trader was shot at the same spot. Today, we heard that
another person was shot at the same area. We do not know yet if the person is a
student. Mind you, that happened outside the university campus. We will need to
go through the Students’ Affairs Directorate to identify if any of the victims
is a student,” he said.
Students
of the university had on Monday morning gone on rampage, destroying buildings
and setting up barricades along the East-west Road and adjoining roads in
protest against the increase in school fees by the authorities of the
institution.
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