Few of the 64 students of Lagos State residents studying at the University of Jos, Plateau State, who on Friday, arrived Lagos from Jos, following recent killings in the state, narrated their experiences, saying they had sleeplessness nights and were still traumatized by the massacre in which several lives were lost.
Tribune Online gathered that about 80 others were said to still be trapped in Jos.
Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu had earlier ordered the evacuation of Lagos State indigenes and residents studying in the University, located in the conflict zone, which recently witnessed killing of over 23 persons allegedly by invading Fulani herdsmen.
The students, who arrived at the state Secretariat, and were received at Folarin Coker Building, at about 2.10 pm, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, by Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on behalf of Governor Sanwo-Olu, however, thanked Mr Governor for coming to their rescue promptly and ensuring their safe arrival.
They equally appreciated the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab; the Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Tertiary Education, Youth and Student Relations, Mr. Tayo Sanyaolu.
Omotoso, described the intervention as practical demonstration of Governor Sanwo-Oulu commitment to protection of lives and property of residents, irrespective of their locations, positing that this was part of the six pillars of the state developmental Agenda, THEMES.
Omotoso thanked God for the students’ safe arrival, saying it could only be God who had brought them safe and sound to Lagos from a war-like zone.
The commissioner further said the effort demonstrated that the Lagos State government had the ability and capacity to respond to any emergency especially when it concerned the people of the state, particularly, the youths, noting that the major lesson was that the affected students should always be good ambassadors of their families and government at all times.
Omotoso equally appreciated God that no students lost their lives in the incident as they returned to Lagos in peace, even as he urged them to continue to observe COVID-19 safety protocols to prevent infection and spread amid virulent Delta variant of the virus.
He, however, seized the opportunity to call on the students to register for the ongoing vaccination against the virus, while also calling on them to focus on their studies and not see the situation they found them as a form of holiday.
“Also, you should not lose touch with your studies. See yourselves as special people. Don’t see this as a holiday. The state government has made adequate welfare packages for your return to your families safe and sound. And pray for peace to return to Jos so that you can return for your studies,” he admonished.
Permanent Secretary of Office of the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Education, Kasali Adeniran, described the evacuation of students and non- indigenes of Lagos as another landmark event.
Adeniran, while thanking the students for their resilience, restated the state governments commitment to good governance and proactiveness in providing enabling environment as well as being on point when it comes to safety and security of lives.
The Representatives of the students, Master Jinadu, in his remark, also thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for prompt evacuation and rescue, saying they had been experiencing tense situations and sleepless nights since the incident.
He urged the state government not to relent on its efforts to rescue over 80 other students who were still stranded in University of Jos, adding: “They have been calling them asking for when the rescue team is coming back for their evacuation, please send more rescue team to evacuate them on time.”
Speaking with newsmen, one of the rescued students, Master A. Biodun, a 300 level student of Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Unijos, described his experience, following the attacks as excruciating and traumatizing, adding that himself and some others had sleeplessness nights for very long time.
He equally thanked the state government for evacuating the indigenous students in Jos very swiftly, adding: “We are grateful to God that we have been moved to Lagos safely and we are really thankful to the Lagos State governor.”
“I want to thank the state government for evacuating the indigenous students in Jos very swiftly.
“My experience as a student in the crisis in Jos has been excruciating, traumatizing. Some of the students had sleepness nights for a very long time, we will be in our hostels and we will be hearing gunshots and people screaming, and we are very close by. We would switch off our lights and lay on the floor.
“We were scared, but when we heard that the Lagos State Government was sending relief and evacuation bus to come and pick us, we were happy and hoping they would come very early because it wasn’t a nice experience. The bus came at the nick of time.
“We are grateful to God that we have been moved to Lagos safely and we are really thankful to the Lagos State governor,” he said.