THE leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has suspended the proposed June 12 nationwide protest alleging a plan to hijack the protest by politicians.
NANS President, Comrade Sunday Asefon, who announced the suspension at a news conference on Friday in Abuja, said he was concerned about the safety of protesters.
He noted NANS had mobilised the students across the country to protest on Democracy Day in order to draw the attention of the government to the plight of Nigerian students who are now soft targets for kidnappers and the need to secure the schools across. the nation.
He decried the growing insecurity in the country and the unfortunate development around the schools and campuses resulting in the kidnapping of students and sometimes even death.
He noted that the planned protest was never part of the Buhari Must Go Campaign or Secessionist Campaign, our planned protest was borne out of genuine concerns for the safety of our students.
Asefon, said: “In the last week, I have met with the Inspector General of Police, other security agencies, held series of meetings with student leaders across the country.
“While everyone agreed that the context of the planned protest is genuine and we reserve the right to protest, the palpable tension surrounding the date has come under special scrutiny.
“However, some politicians with different agendas to ours have concluded plans to hijack the protest to ventilate their political opinions and sentiments. While every Nigerian reserve the right to their opinion and the right to protest, it will be dangerous to our members if the protest is hijacked as the security agencies have shared with us credible intelligence in this regard.
“When some of these political players discovered that we have seen their plans and their initial solidarity with us is fake and an avenue to use our platform to ventilate their divisive agenda, they resulted in blackmailing us with lies and fake news on their platform.
“Having considered the current security realities and the danger to the lives of our members in case of possible hijack of the planned protest, I in consultation with all the structures of NANS, therefore, announce the suspension of our proposed protest for June 12,” he said.
The NANS President said the suspension of the protest was necessary to avoid a clash of interest and clash with security agencies who are on red alert to protect the nation’s infrastructures from security breaches on the proposed date as a result of many other protests slated for the date.
“We intend to protest for better security and improved welfare for our students, we must therefore not put the life of any of our students at risk to ventilate our grievances,” he said.
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