Benue students protest shooting of union leader

The National Union of Benue state Students (NUBESS) on Monday protested the poor handling of its National President, Comrade Smith Tyonor, who was allegedly shot by unknown persons in Makurdi.

The aggrieved students, who organised a peaceful protest, blocked the two gates to Benue state University to demand for better treatment for their president.

Tyonor was allegedly shot at the weekend and was immediately taken to Benue state University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi for treatment.

Addressing the protesters at the institution’s first gate, the Director of Welfare of NUBESS, Benue state University chapter, Comrade Robert Faga, said they want the management to transfer the victim to a secured and better hospital so that he can receive good and adequate treatment.

Faga said that the student leader is not a cultist and was also not shot by cultists, but rather it might be sponsored by other factional NUBESS union group.

“We are protesting because they shot our president and the school is not taking drastic action towards that. They said that they shot our president outside the school campus.

“We want the school management to take care of his treatment and security because he is not in a secured place. They are not giving him full attention too,” he said

Faga said the issue is security related and needs to be treated with all seriousness, adding that university’s hospital lacks proper security to guarantee Tyonor’s safety at the facility.

Reacting to the protest, the university’s Information Officer, Tser Vanger, said that the Deputy Vice Chancellor (academics), Prof Edward Omudu, has already addressed the protesting students.

Vanger said that the university has transferred the student leader to a more secured hospital in Abuja.

Also, the Chief Medical Director, Benue state Teaching University (BSUTH), Prof. Terlumun Swende, confimed that the shot student requested for referral to another hospital and it was granted.