Two students of the University of Port Harcourt were on Monday feared killed during a protest over an alleged policy by the management of the institution that tuition must be paid before they would be allowed to take their first semester examinations.

One of the students identified as Peter Ofurun, who was said to have been hit by a bullet from a policeman, had died instantly.

Another student also hit by a bullet was rushed to the hospital, even as sources claimed that she died on the way to the hospital for treatment.

The UNIPORT students’ protest had halted all academic activities in the institution as they demanded that the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sunday Lale, should address them and also reverse the policy

Ofurun was a student in the Faculty of Management Science before he met his untimely death.

Sources disclosed that the two students were hit by the bullets when policemen opened fire to disperse the protesting students and stop them from occupying the busy East-West road for a long time.

The students’ presence on the East-West had caused a heavy traffic as travellers waited in vain for the students to disperse for them to continue with their journey.

It was gathered that the students had come out from their various hostels at about 4.30am to express their grievances over the stance of the UNIPORT management to stop them from taking their first semester examination over their non-payment of the fees.

An armoured personnel carrier that was moving close to the institution to ensure that calm returned was also trapped in the traffic.

It was gathered that the UNIPORT management has embraced a policy that stopped students, who had yet to pay their school fees, from taking their exams.

Affected students, according to a source, will also be made to carry over the courses.

But the protesting students described the policy as a form of victimisation, adding that the dwindling economy of the nation was affecting them as they were unable to pay their fees immediately.

One of the placards of the protesting students reads, ‘Say No to No School Fees, No Examinations’.

Credit: Punch