The management of the National Petroleum Development Commission (NPDC) headed by the MD, Ali Muhammad Zarah is reported to have reneged on the promises to the students which led to the protest. At the peaceful demonstration which was widely reported by several media organizations in the country, a trigger-happy policeman of the Edo State Command, identified as DSP Emmanuel opened fire at the protesters and shot our comrade, Juliana.
Juliana is a 400 level Mass Communication student from the University of Benin, Benin-City. She has remained active in the MSA since recruited and at the Congress she contributed to the discussion and promised to be more active in her branch.
We want to use the opportunity to call for solidarity, letters of protest condemning the act of the NPDC management and the Nigerian police. We hereby provide the following names and phone numbers of the actors to condemned the act and call for the necessary comprehensive medical care that would free her of all scars both physical and psychological with due compensation.
We have issued a statement to this regard calling for a panel of enquiry that will include student representatives to investigate the incident and to bring the trigger-happy policeman attached to the company and identified as DSP Emmanuel to book.
Thanks in solidarity.
We ask all trade unions, ISA sections and organisations as well as individual supporters to urgently send a protest letter to the Nigerian Embassy in your country and the following addresses:
Model letter
To:
Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
Commissioner of Police Edo State, Philip Aliyu Ogbadu.
I am writing to condemn the shooting of Juliana Martins at a peaceful demonstration in Benin City on Thursday 28 October 2021.
Juliana was protesting along with other students from the University of Benin and students from Niger Delta, after the management of the National Petroleum Development Commission (NPDC) headed by the MD, Ali Muhammad Zarah reneged on their commitments to provide participants in the Petroleum Industrial Act workshop with stipends and laptops.
At the peaceful demonstration which was widely reported by several Nigerian media organisations, a trigger-happy policeman of the Edo State Command, identified as DSP Emmanuel opened fire at the protesters and shot Juliana Martins who is a 400 level Mass Communication student from the University of Benin, Benin-City.
We demand an immediate investigation into this heinous act and the prosecution of all those responsible, including the senior police officers and NPDC management who oversaw these events.
We also support the call for a panel of enquiry that will include student representatives to investigate the incident and to bring the trigger-happy policeman attached to the company and identified as DSP Emmanuel to book.
We also demand that all necessary comprehensive medical care be provided free for Juliana for the treatment of all scars both physical and psychological with due compensation.
By Matt Waine
