By Shina Abubakar Osogbo
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has described reports that an ex-student of Osun State Polytechnic was killed at its recently concluded convention in Osun State as untrue.
A national daily (not Vanguard) reported that one Ademiju Ayeni, popularly called “Jago” was stabbed to death at the convention venue, the NUJ Secretariat in Osogbo.
However, a statement issued by Zone D NANS Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah disclosed that nobody was killed at the convention, saying the deceased’s death occurred hours after the conclusion of the body’s meeting.
He explained, “The official proceedings were conducted within the controlled premises of the NUJ Council, Capital Road, Osogbo. Accreditation and access were handled by the Convention Planning Committee, while personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, DSS and other security formations were present throughout the exercise.
“The convention proceedings were also extensively documented through video recordings and live broadcasts, including TikTok Live, while the exercise received media coverage, including from national television. These records provide additional documentation of what transpired within the official convention environment.
“An earlier verbal disagreement involving the deceased and some persons was reportedly observed outside the convention gate. Information obtained during our fact-finding indicates that security personnel and stakeholders intervened and the disagreement was amicably resolved. No stabbing was reported during that encounter”.
While stressing the need for accurate information dissemination, Josiah urged the media not to become a purveyor of misleading information used by aggrieved individuals to discredit a credible convention.
“We equally caution aggrieved student leaders and political actors against attempting to weaponise this unfortunate death because of interests that were not realised during the just-concluded JCC election.
“The election has ended. The death of a young man must not become an instrument for political retaliation, factional propaganda or another round of division within the Osun student constituency.
“Our fact-finding has so far established one important point which must be placed clearly before the public and that is: No student was killed inside the NANS JCC Osun Convention, and the available information does not establish that the fatal incident occurred during the official convention proceedings.
“Whatever eventually caused the death of Comrade Jago must be determined through a proper investigation based on witnesses, medical evidence, timelines and other credible evidence.
“Whoever is established to be responsible must answer for his or her actions, but innocent individuals must equally not be condemned through rumours, assumptions or political interests”.
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