The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued its own account of the events that unfolded at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State on Thursday, when a confrontation between students and military personnel heightened tension on campus. In a statement sent to *The* on Saturday and signed by Vice President of Inter‑Campus Affairs Vanessa Egbeahie, NANS emphasized that UNIBEN students are generally peaceful. The trouble began when some military men attempted to jump the queue and withdraw cash from a bank’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM), a move that was resisted by students who had waited in line for hours.
NANS clarified that the incident “was not in any way the act of UNIBEN students.” The association stressed that the university’s students are known for high moral standards and a zero‑tolerance policy toward violence. According to NANS, the viral narration of the incident was “cooked up” on the internet. Egbeahie wrote, “In correction of the cooked‑up stories going around the internet, I do hereby write to give some clarity to what actually transpired.” She described how soldiers entered the university premises, assaulted students by beating and chasing them out of the long ATM queues, and falsely accused them of recording the incident. Some students’ phones were destroyed, others were forced to roll on the floor, and several were punched. Security officers on the ground were also slapped and dragged.
In retaliation to the trending video, soldiers returned to campus and broke the windshields of about 40 privately owned and school‑owned vehicles. They also assaulted and flogged the university’s security officers. “All manner of ill‑treatment was executed on the school premises by the same soldiers who should be safeguarding and protecting the citizens of this great country,” Egbeahie added. She expressed hope that such incidents would not be repeated, noting that peace and calm have since been restored to the campus.
In a separate statement on Friday, UNIBEN Vice‑Chancellor Lilian Salami called for calm, describing the clash between soldiers and students as unfortunate. She urged students to seek alternative, non‑violent resolutions to crises. When our correspondent visited the campus on Friday, fear of reprisals lingered among students and local residents. Four vehicles with smashed windshields were parked near the main gate, which had been closed; motorists were forced to use the entry gate and undergo rigorous searches. Students and residents gathered at the gate, anxious about what might happen next. Police officers were positioned nearby to prevent further breakdown of law and order within the university environment. One student told *The* that they feared soldiers might return at night to attack the school.
The UNIBEN crisis was linked to the broader scarcity of naira notes, even after the Central Bank extended the deadline for the validity of old notes to February 10, 2023. Protests over cash shortages and the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) also erupted in Ibadan, with some incidents of violence reported.
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