Obiano, lawmakers escape unhurt as student groups clash in Anambra

Governor-elect of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, Commissioner for Sports, Edozie Aroh and a member representing Njikoka II State constituency, Valentine Ayika, yesterday escaped unhurt as student groups in the state clashed over authenticity.

Trouble ensued when a group of students who identified themselves as the authentic student union leaders in the state stormed the venue of a brainstorming session, organised by the Anambra State Students Association (ANSSA), and attacked everybody in sight including journalists that came to cover the programme.

Fortunately, while the students were getting set for the function, Obiano, Aroh and Ayika were still on their way when the clash started.

The programme was meant to address the issue of disbursement of bursary to students and the setting up of a scholarship board in the state.

It was gathered that the other group of students that claimed to be the authentic student leaders in the state accused the organisers of impersonating them with the aim of enlarging their pockets.

Leader of the group, Anozie Israel and National President of National Union of Anambra State Students (NUASS), accused the President of ANSSA, Emmanuel Ngini, for leaving NUASS to register a parallel body.

Israel said NUASS was the only students union registered with the state Ministry of Education, alleging that Ngini left his group and attempted to register a separate body which was denied by the education ministry but in his desperation, approached the Ministry of Sports for registration.

Reacting, Ngini said his students’ body was properly registered, saying he was not impersonating anyone.

He added that Israel and his group were only envious of him and as such planned to disrupt the brainstorming session organised by his group with the hope of stealing from his guests.

He called on the police authorities in the state to arrest Israel and his group for constituting public nuisance, and causing no fewer that eight students to sustain injuries, adding that many of the students and guests lost their phones, laptops and cash to the attackers.

According to him, journalists, who came to cover the event, had their laptops smashed by the irate students union leaders.

One of them who claim to be the Joint Campus Committee chairman denied that they were there to loot from the guests.

He said: “We came to stop the event from holding because Ngini and his group were impersonators and attempt to stop him from holding the function through dialogue failed.”