Students Demand Justice For Battered Female By Soldiers Over Non Payment Of Fees
The National Association of Ogun State Students has called for a thorough investigation into the incident that led to the assault of their female colleague, Ms. Folashade Leshi. Leshi, a student of the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, was reportedly battered by two soldiers attached to the polytechnic on April 18.
The Punch reported that Leshi, is an Ordinary National Diploma II student of Mass Communication, who had prepared for her examination and was on her way to the hall when she was stopped by the soldiers.
According to the Punch Leshi said, “I came to school on Monday morning hoping to pay the damage fee we were mandated to pay before we could sit for any paper. Apart from schooling, I am also a businesswoman and I had embarked on a trip to Abuja. I was not able to pay before the exam took place but all of us who had yet to pay and without pass, were prevented from entering the school premises.”
“We were all outside the gate and I sat on the pavement. Suddenly, the security men said we should all leave. But I was trying to explain to them that I had my money on me and I wanted to pay, for me to sit for the examination, but this fell on deaf ears.
“Others fled and as I was trying to pack my things so that I could also leave, one of the soldiers threatened to use a whip on me, saying that I was stupid. I had to reply him that that was an uncouth word to use on me as a married woman.”
Furthermore, according to the Punch Leshi said , “I don’t lie, and I told him that if he dared touch me, he would face the consequence, because I know a lot of influential people. By then, some colleagues were hailing me but I did not know why they were doing that. That must have infuriated the soldiers and two of them descended on me with their whips.
“One of them used a thick wire while the other used a thin one. But as the whipping became too much and I was falling down, I held onto the uniform of one of them, in the process, the buttons pulled out and his uniform was torn.
Leshi sustained injuries and was subsequently denied entry into the school to sit for the semester examinations.
In a statement signed by the national coordinator of the Ogun State Students Association, Ifemosu Adewale, the student body called for the appropriate authorities to bring the soldiers to book.
The statement read, “It is so disheartening, barbaric and is a rape of democracy, when security operatives, who are assigned to maintain law and order in the state, are the ones molesting and infringing on the rights of students; leading to a massive brutalisation cum damages.
The statement urged the authorities not to sweep the matter under the carpet and demand justice for the battered student.
SOURCE: The Punch