The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called a halt to its planned statewide protest on June 12.
Mr. Sunday Asefon, the association’s president, confirmed the suspension in a statement released to journalists in Abuja on Friday.
The announcement, headed “NANS suspends the June 12 rally due to worries about protester safety and fear of probable political hijacking,” was intended to disrupt the country’s tranquility.
According to Asefon, the planned demonstration was intended to highlight the country’s insecurity, particularly recurrent student kidnappings.
Asefon, however, said some politicians with “a different agenda” devised plans to hijack the protest in order to “vent their political views and feelings”.
He said, “The student body was not associated with the secessionist campaign.
“Having taken into account the current security realities and the danger to the lives of our members in the event of a possible hijacking of the planned event, I am therefore announcing in consultation with all the structures of the NANS the suspension of our demonstration proposal for the June 12.
“The suspension of the demonstration is necessary to avoid a conflict of interest and a clash with the security agencies who are on red alert to protect the country’s infrastructure against security breaches on the date proposed following many others events planned for the date.
“We intend to protest for better safety and well-being for our students, so we must not put the lives of any of our students in danger to voice our grievances,” he said.
Asefon went on to say that the protest had been postponed rather than canceled, and that a new date would be announced later.
SOURCE: NNN
