Yesterday’s riots at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria, which led to the alleged shooting of four students by the police, was caused by disagreement over transport fare, News Express has learnt.

A reliable source in Uyo who spoke with News Express late last night said that the university management under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Comfort Memfin Ekpo “imposed transport fare of N200 on science students before they could enter school buses which used to be free. Students bargained for N100 but she refused. When students could not see buses to convey them to the Nwaniba Main Campus for lectures, they protested, leading to the invitation of the police by the Vice Chancellor.”

Kingsley Okon Edet a.k.a Kesy, year 3 student of zoology, was among those shot dead by the police.

According to Akaninyene Oton, an Uyo-based journalist, there was “heavy shootings and tear-gassing along Ikot Ekpene, Ikpa, Ibiam roads by UNIUYO axis by the police to disperse the protesting students.”

The irate students reacted to the killing of their colleagues by torching the offices of the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar as well as some other administrative buildings in the school.

Trouble started when the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ekpo, ordered students of the Faculty of Science to move to the Main Campus at Nwaniba. The students asked for buses to convey them to lectures in view of the distance and launched a protest when disagreement over fare made it difficult for them to go for lectures.

A UNIUYO student interviewed by News Express blamed the school authorities, saying that the relocation of the students should not have been done mid-session. The school has been shut indefinitely and students ordered to go home.

•Photo, courtesy Revolution News, shows one of the burnt buildings.