Parents of students in Federal Government
colleges,also known as Unity Schools, have protested in Lagos the killing of
over 50 students in Yobe State by Islamic terrorists, Boko Haram.
The protesters stormed the Lagos State
Governor’s Office, Alausa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria lamenting the massacre of
school children and other innocent people in Yobe, Borno States and other parts
of northern Nigeria.
The protesters, under the aegis of Unity
Schools Old Student Association, (USOSA), said the killing of students of
Federal Government College, Yobe state and others who were slain in the
northern region of the country consecutively left much to be desired.
They condemned the killing by the sect by after
attacking Bunu Yadi, Yobe state; burning their hostel, classrooms and several
houses noted that the incidents have plunged the region into a war situation.
The protesters who dressed in black to express
their concern over the continuous killing in the northern region, chanted
different dirge, appealing to the Federal Government, State Governors and the
military agencies in the country to end the insurgency.
The protesters carried placards, some of which
read: “Boko Haram, stop killing our children,” “Fashola, Speak for the
voiceless,” and “Enough of senseless killings.”
Each of the protesters also held placards
bearing the names of the students who were killed in the Yobe school attack.
Mrs. Ibiyemi Olufowobi, spokesperson of the
protesters decried the high level of insecurity in the North, saying that the
attack on the Yobe School had defeated the purpose while Unity Schools were
established.
“Unity schools are established to foster unity
irrespective of the language, faith, ethnic and tribe and development in the
country. We demand that the Federal Government offers free medical service to
all the victims of previous attacks, Bunu Yadi attack and subsequent attacks;
and compensate the families of the victims. My child in one of the Unity
Schools in Lagos, is already panicking that his school could be attacked by the
Sects,” she lamented.
“The only thing we could do was to embark on
this protest, to draw the attention of the President, Goodluck Jonathan and
other governors of the 36 states to the plight of the students of these
schools,” Mr. Bestman Izi, another protester said.
Governor Babatunde Fashola received the
protesters, saying that he would deliver their letter to the president.
He said the problem of insecurity was one that
every hand must be on deck to tackle, while he assured Lagosians of
government’s resolve to protect lives and properties.
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Society