The Lagos State Police, through its PRO, has vowed a showdown if the Nigerian students try to disrupt flight activities as they plan to occupy Nigeria airports from Monday, September 19, to protest against the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.
The students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS seized the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway most days of last week obstructing vehicular movement as they protest against the ASUU strike.
The NANS has also announced plans to resume protests at airports, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos today.
In counter threat, the Lagos Police have said the students “are free to come out and see what awaits them.”
Dismissing NANS’ threat, the Lagos Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin said, “Speaking from a position of confidence, everything is intact, and there is no threat on the airport or the airspace.
“However, the protesters who issued the threat are free to come out and see what awaits them. We, however, urge law-abiding Lagosians to go about their lawful duties without fear of intimidation or harassment.”
Read also: Nigerian students set to #OccupyTheAirports from Monday over ASUU strike,
NANS, through its National Taskforce Chairman, Olumide Ojo, however, seem not shaken, telling newsmen that the association was aware of the Federal Government’s plan to mobilise the military against its protest, but the body will not back down on its plan.
He said the move would, however, not stop the association’s protest at the Lagos airport.
Ojo said, “We can secure ourselves against external forces. We are aware that the Federal Government is mobilising the military to the venue of our protest but that will not stop us from barricading the airport.
“Since last Tuesday, we have been grounding the major highways from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Guru Maharaji, we blocked Gbongan and so on. These are the roads being used by the masses, so we decided to focus on the routes government officials use most, which are the international airports and others.
“Nigerians should reschedule their flights because tomorrow (today) will be grounded. No one will go out, no one will come in.”
Another NANS top official said, “The Lagos airport will be grounded on Monday. All we want is for the government to answer us. We want an end to the strike.”