Students of the Lagos State University (LASU), Epe Campus, on Wednesday morning stormed the university premises in protest against what they described as dehumanising and prison-like treatment under the watch of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Professor O.T.F. Abanikannda.
According to an online video, some final-year students were seen chanting solidarity songs and demanding immediate intervention from the university authorities.
The protest, which follows media reports exposing widespread abuse, neglect and psychological intimidation, is the latest in a growing controversy surrounding Professor Abanikannda’s leadership of the Agriculture faculty.
According to previous reports, the students, mostly final-year undergraduates, were allegedly forced to live and work on the university’s farm for over a month without access to proper accommodation, sanitation or medical care.
Sources within LASU said the students were banned from entering their hostels and were warned that refusal to comply with the Dean’s instructions would result in failure or outright expulsion from the programme.
“He said we will remain here till November or December, and if we disobey him, he will make sure we fail, one aggrieved student said. This is not education — it’s slavery,” one of the students said.
Video footage showed students sleeping under makeshift while visibly exhausted from forced farm labour.
The situation worsened last Saturday, May 17, when Professor Abanikannda allegedly punished students by forcing them to stand in the rain for hours after they failed to complete a cassava planting assignment.
Only 25 of the 54 final-year students were present that day, prompting the Dean to accuse them of laziness and disrespect.
“He delayed our dismissal until 3pm, then ordered us to stand in the rain till past 7pm without food or water, another student recalled. He mocked us, told us we don’t deserve three square meals, and warned that our results can be tampered with,” a student said.
There are allegations that the Dean berates the students for speaking to the press, labeling their actions as rebellion.
He said, “You did what I love most yesterday. You are leading rebellion… I am trained to handle rebellion. A lot of you were not trained in your various homes.”
He then threatened further punishment for any student who dared to report him or lead a protest: “If you lead any rebellion, I will make you pay.
The students’ bold protest on Wednesday signals a shift in what had become a climate of fear and silence.
The LASU Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, according to sources revealed that she has confirmed awareness of the situation and promised institutional action.
“Many thanks for the information. The needful will be done,” she said in a brief message.
In a follow-up, the VC added: “A panel has been set up to look into all these. Kindly let us do due diligence to this. You will not be disappointed.”
The protest is ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
