On Tuesday, the management of the University of Benin, Edo State, announced the indefinite suspension of the school's Students' Union Government.
The announcement came after the mayhem that occurred on April 12 during the visit of the Edo State Labour Party Governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata, who is an alumnus of the institution.
Akpata was said to have been attending an interactive session organized by the University of Benin Staff Club on the Ugbowo campus when some hoodlums disrupted the gathering, and a senior lecturer, Dr Presley Osemwegie, was injured during the incident. Both the students' leadership and Akpata have been trading blame over the incident.
The students claimed that Akpata unleashed his security personnel on them, while the lawyer-turned-politician said that the attackers were sponsored by his political opponents.
However, the university authorities investigated the matter and decided to suspend the SUG indefinitely. The university's Registrar, Ademola Bobola, released a statement regarding the suspension, saying that the SUG suspension was connected to the events that occurred in the Faculty of Law and the University's Senior Staff Club on April 12. The Vice-Chancellor approved the suspension of the university's Students' Union after due consideration of the report by the management. Bobola further stated that the suspension takes effect immediately, from Monday, April 29, 2024. As part of the suspension, all officers of the Students' Union are to hand over all properties of the union in their possession to the Dean of Students' Affairs not later than 4 pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
In the interim, a Caretaker Committee composed of representatives of faculties, schools, and institutes has been approved to coordinate students' activities during the period of suspension.