The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it aware of reports that some of its personnel are involved in a fracas on the campus of the University of Osun State at Ipetu Ijesha.
A statement by Olatokunbo Adesanya, Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, on Wednesday said while the NAF highly regrets the entire incidence, it is noteworthy that the reported incidence is not a reflection of what the NAF stands for.
“The NAF is a highly professional force that does not condone or encourage the violation of anyone’s human rights. The general public is invited to kindly note that the NAF has already commenced formal investigations into the reported unfortunate incidence.
“At the end of the investigations, Nigerians are assured that any NAF personnel found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the appropriate laws.
Rampaging officers of the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety, Ipetu Ijesa, have reportedly continued the assault and brutalisation of students of the university.
The military men reportedly stormed the private hostels where students of the institution live, beat them up and injured some of them.
It was gathered that the airmen invaded the university campus twice on Tuesday. Not satisfied with the level of brutalisation on their victims, they later invaded the hostels and injured some of the students.
A student told our correspondent on the telephone that a 400 level student of the university, Francis Olajide Olanubi, was wounded with a machete by the irate military men.
The Dean, Student Affairs, UNIOSUN, Dr. Adebimpe Adigun, confirmed the fresh attack. ”They called me again that the Air Force men went to various hostels where our students live and started attacking them again. I was told that one of our students was macheted. He was taken to the school clinic for treatment.”
The crisis reportedly started when some Air Force men beat and detain a student believed to be one of the Internet fraudsters in the school.
“There are Yahoo boys in our school and they usually settle men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad whenever they come. At times, the boys would call the policemen that they should come for the ‘settlement.’
“The SARS came, as usual, yesterday but one of the Yahoo boys ran away to the Air Force institute to stay with his friends. He was accused of not contributing to the money to settle the police before he ran away.
“His friends went to see him there and demanded that he should contribute his quotas but his Air Force friends said these boys should leave the guy. The guys also asked the Air Force men to stay out of the matter. The insult was said to have infuriated the Air Force men, who descended on the boys. One of the boys was seriously beaten and was detained.
”They beat him and detained him there. Some students, who heard of this mobilised and wanted to go there to free him but the lecturers prevented the students. The Air Force men probably thought the students were going to attack them when this was going on and they came and invaded the campus and beat up everybody.”
