Violent Protest Erupts at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture as Students Demand Tuition Fee Reduction

A violent protest erupted at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State on Tuesday, as students voiced their anger over a recent increase in tuition fees. The university staff have shared harrowing accounts of their ordeal during the riot, which they claim was sparked by the students’ dissatisfaction with the fee hike.

According to the university management, the protest was infiltrated by miscreants who took advantage of the situation. However, some staff members, such as Igwe Azubuike Chizoba and lecturer Mrs Ngozi Olundu, confessed that they had to flee for their safety through a bush path leading to Olokoro community located behind the university premises, as they feared being attacked by the enraged mob of students.

Mrs Olundu further revealed that her colleagues who remained in the office were mercilessly beaten by the protesters shortly after she managed to escape. She narrated her escape, stating that she ran towards the bush area and eventually found herself in Oboro, Ikwuano LGA.

One of the university’s Public Relations Officer, Patrick Opara, recounted being evacuated from the school premises while the “miscreants” were wreaking havoc and causing extensive damage to the university’s property.

The aftermath of the protest left a trail of destruction on the campus. The largest examination hall, Three Hall, was set ablaze, and various other facilities were damaged, including the road median, Students Union Government (SUG) office, electric poles, school chairs, library building, school field, part of the Access bank building, and school vehicles. The extent of the damage is still being assessed by university officials.

In response to the violence, stern-looking policemen were deployed to guard the Vice Chancellor‘s office and the banks within the university premises. These security measures were implemented to ensure the safety of staff and students.

The university management, in their decision to shut down the institution on Tuesday, emphasized that the protesters were not genuine students but rather “miscreants” who had infiltrated the peaceful ongoing examination.