Students of the University of Ibadan have paralysed academic activities after trooping out to protest what they describe as unjust, aggressive and thoughtless victimisation of one Mr. Tunji Ekepeti Michael (a.k.a MOTE), a final year student of the Petroleum Engineering Department of the institution.

News Express learnt from sources in the institution that MOTE was asked by UI management to serve one semester rustication, having allegedly led a protest over power and water scarcity in the school.

The students, in a protest tagged #FREEMOTE being coordinated by the National Association of Nigeria Student (NANS) have locked up the university gate since 8:00 a.m. today. Students from the neighbouring Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho were invited to join the movement against the rustication of one of their own.

A student of the institution, this morning, posted on his Facebook wall, saying: “If you want to see the spirit of Aluta, just come down to the University of Ibadan. It’s happening live. Even, the Army and Mobile Police cannot handle the situation. This is Aluta Spirit.”

According to the student who briefed News Express through Facebook but craved anonymity, “All the school gates have been locked while students are moving around, making sure that no form of activities go on. The Army and Mobile Policemen are on ground but trust me they can’t handle the situation.”

Another student said: “UNIBADAN don tire me. We are really suffering. NASU, ASUU, etc, do protest. So, why can’t the students protest? This is complete injustice. No light, no water. After we protested, power was restored for two hours and later interrupted. This is disheartening in a school like University of Ibadan.”

In a telephone call this morning, another source revealed that commercial activities were not affected by the ongoing protest but students receiving lectures were sent out of their classrooms to ground academic activities.

Some other students resorted to the Official Facebook Page of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the school, hurling varied insults on the management and showing solidarity with various hashtags: #IstandwithMOTE #FreeMOTE #Common_sense_is_not_common #StupidDecisionCommittee(SDC) #BringBackOurLight #SayNoToSDC.

•Photo shows UI VC, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka.

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