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UNILAG Student Leader Hospitalized After Assault By Bus Driver

SaharaReporters has learned that an unidentified commercial bus driver earlier this week viciously attacked the President of the University of Lagos Students Union (ULSU), Abiodun Martins. 

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UNILAG SUG President, Abiodun Martins

Mr. Martins was inaugurated two months ago as ULSU President after the union was reinstated this year, ending its ten-year proscription.

Our sources said Mr. Martins was assaulted on Monday, June 15 at Pako bus station in Akoka, Yaba, a few meters away from the main entrances of UNILAG and the Federal College of Education (FCE). 

Several eyewitnesses disclosed that Mr. Martins and some other student union leaders were in an official students union bus driving towards UNILAG when a reckless commercial bus driver hit their vehicle. 

The witnesses said the bus driver had run a red light before ramming into the student union vehicle, which had right of way. When the student union leaders entered the errant bus and accosted the commercial bus driver, he reportedly sped in the direction of Bariga. Most of the students jumped off from the bus, but Mr. Martins could not escape. Once in their union car, the students tried to catch up to the erratic driver speeding away with Mr. Martins inside his bus, but could not. 

“By the time the students bus finally located Mr. Martins, he was lying in a pool of his own blood on a street corner,” one of our sources said. The source added that the student union president had suffered two severe cuts to his head and was almost unconscious. He rushed to the Medical Center on the UNILAG campus, and later referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for further treatment.

The student union’s public relations officer, Kunle Charles, told SaharaReporters that Mr. Martin was recuperating and would address the issue once he fully recovers.

“I have not been asked to speak on this incident. All I can tell you is that the president is now fine and is only resting to fully recover. He will speak with you once he comes back to the campus,” said Mr. Charles. 

The student union PRO disclosed that members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURWT) were working with the student leadership to identify and find the driver who assaulted Mr. Martins.