The University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Sunday said it would continually put in place measures that would sustain academic excellence and safety of students.
The institution’s Deputy Registrar, Information, Mr Toyin Adebule, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He spoke against the backdrop of the 13 students alleged to be students of the institution arrested and detained by the Police for anti-students activities.
According to him, the institution’s management is committed to ensuring that the environment in and around the university community remains peaceful for teaching, learning and research as well as provide first class students’ welfare.
“The university’s management has continued to work round the clock to ensure that the institution maintains its place of pride among other universities in the country,’’ he said.
He added that the management had vowed not to allow those who have no business on campus to come around and constitute any form of breach of peace.
According to him, for sometimes now, some group of students have been trying hard to come into the campus in order to disrupt academic activities and the peace the institution has been enjoying.
“We have vowed not to allow that to happen as our security personnel are fully on ground and always ready to stop anyone or group of persons with evil intention.
“Just on March 31, it was brought to the notice of the university’s management that some students were trying to disrupt academic activities on campus.
“But on getting to the spot, it was discovered that the supposed students were from the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun.
“Only one of the 13 arrested students for their involvement was a former student of the University of Lagos and their intention was to distabilise the fast approaching first semester examination scheduled for Monday, April 3.
“So, let me categorically state here that the students who were arrested and remanded in Kirikiri prisons as ordered by a court in Lagos are not students of the University of Lagos,’’ Adebule said.
He noted that this was contrary to what was reported by some section of the media.
“The only one that used to be a student of our university is one of those recently rusticated alongside others for various offences contrary to the rules and regulations of the institution,’’ Adebule said.
He said that on Oct. 11, 2016, just before the commencement of the second semester examination, the same rusticated student also mobilised about 14 students from the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education to disrupt the examination on campus.
According to him, they were stopped by security agents around the Atan Cemetery, close to the university, where they were planning to carry out their plans.
The deputy registrar also said that the same rusticated student had during the institution’s 2016 Convocation in January, forcefully gained entrance into the venue and tried to disrupt proceeding before he was picked up by security operatives.
Adebule said that the student remained rusticated from the institution pending when he re-applied.
