Lucky Obukohwo ReportingÂ
There was pandemonium at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) as some serving military personnel attached to the S&T barracks Ugbowo who allegedly caused disruption and assaulted students of the University of Benin, at one of the school’s operated Automated Teller Machines, ATM, centers on Thursday, narrowly escaped mob actions after an intervention from members of the public.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke to Truth Live News on the ground of anonymity, said, the military personnel were said to have had an altercation with the student over whose turn to withdraw from the ATM owned by one of the banks at the institution’s premises.
Trouble, according to the source broke, when the students who had queued for the withdrawal resisted the military personnel from jumping the guns to withdraw at the expense of the students who had stayed for hours to make some withdrawals.
It was said that the military personnel had on Wednesday, approached the ATM in the same oppressive manner and wanted to repeat the same on Thursday when the students asked them to line up if they are to withdraw from the Point Of Sale Machines (POS).
The source added, “on Wednesday they came here and harassed the students. They even asked the students who challenged them to queue up to lie on the ground”
Continuing, the eyewitnesses who don’t want their names in print, said, “But today when they came again and wanted to do the same thing, the student resisted them”.
While the heated arguments lasted between the students and the military officers, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the institution was said to have moved to the scene to intervene when he got assaulted by the soldiers who they said slapped him.
The development, according to the source heightened the already tensed atmosphere as students in their numbers pounced on the soldiers with one of them reportedly sustaining injury.
The aggrieved students barricaded and halt vehicular movements for several hours as all routes leading to and fro the UNIBEN main gate stalled in protest against the military’s action while demanding an apology as well as an end to the oppression
It however took the intervention of some spirited Nigerians and the Deputy Police Officer, DPO, Ugbowo division to appease the irate students to allow movement around the axis.
No statement has been released, by the University of Benin authority over the incident that abruptly halted commercial activities.
However, when contacted, the Police spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor said he was in Abuja and could not give details but directed our correspondent to speak with his 2i/c, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, who confirmed the incident.
ASP Iwegbu said peace was restored after several appeals to the students but claimed that the students want a phone belonging to one of the unnamed students that was smashed on the ground fixed, to end the quarrel.
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