Just In: NANS pulls out of June 12 protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students has suspended its planned June 12 nationwide protest.

The student union President, Sunday Asefon, disclosed the suspension in a statement on Friday morning titled ‘NANS Suspends June 12 Protest Over Concerns About Safety Of Protesters And Fear Of Possible Hijack By Politicians – Comrade Sunday Asefon’.

According to the statement, Asefon said the planned protest was embarked on to express the union’s grievances with the increasing spate of student abduction in the country.

But the union got information that some politicians with different agenda had planned to hijack the protest and agitate for their own selfish agenda.

These other interests he claimed include the ‘Buhari-must-go’ protest scheduled to hold on same Saturday by some politicians and activists.

He said, “Having considered the current security realities and the danger to the lives of our members in case of possible hijack of the planned protest, I in consultation with all the structures of NANS, therefore, announce the suspension of our proposed protest for June 12.

“The suspension of the protest is necessary to avoid a clash of interest and clash with security agencies that are on red alert to protect the nation’s infrastructure from security breaches on the proposed date as a result of many other protests slated for the date.

“We intend to protest for better security and improved welfare for our students, we must therefore not put the life of any of our students at risk to ventilate our grievances.”

Asefon however claimed that the protest is not cancelled but only postponed to a new date that would be announced later.