Students disrupt examinations over Boko Haram

FOLLOWING the threat message allegedly sent to some of the country’s universities, including the University of Ibadan, the students’ union of the premier university, on Wednesday, invaded examination halls and disrupted the conduct of the ongoing second semester examinations.

The operation, conducted in commando-like fashion, started around 8.30 a.m. as the students’ union president, Mr Tokunbo Salako, led other students to stop the ongoing second semester examinations.
There was confusion, as some of the students, who had reported for their examinations, were stunned by the action.
The students feared that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) warning strike could affect the examinations, thereby affecting their possible graduation.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that some of the lecturers had threatened to deal with any student who failed to sit for the examinations after an agreement had been reached with the school authorities.
The students, in their sensitisation rallies around halls of residence on Tuesday night, had informed the students of the failure of the school authorities to brief the students about the Boko Haram threat and what was being done to protect them.
The students’ also stated that their safety had become threatened on campus, following a total blackout in the institution.
The protesting students stormed virtually all the faculties to stop the conduct of the examinations.
The students’ leaders, who met stiff resistance at the Faculty of Arts, had to tear some examination papers and scripts to force the faculty management to dance to their tune.
But one of the leaders, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said they did not disrupt the ongoing examinations.
According to him, they only went to stop some lecturers who were conducting examinations, despite an earlier agreement with the school authorities that the examinations should be postponed.