[Nigeria] Student Protests

[JJSmithJr]

Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife-Ife.

Obafemi Awolowo University is nestled in the small suburb of Ife-Ife, the town largely affluent, has been a bastion of the People's Democratic Party, and largely at odds with the liberal and educated University, centered on arts and culture. Following the disbarment of the Communist Party Candidates from the local city council elections due to improper paperwork, a claim disputed by the candidates themselves, large scale student protests have broken out, shutting down the university and threatening to spread to the nearby town. With Students Marching and chanting through the streets. So far relative peace has been maintained, but local Police Forces have become strained with several officers forced to work overtime shifts to police the protests and maintain order. Shop owners have been urging the governor and the President to send in National Guard Units to end the Protests before they become violent. Communist Party Leaders call for restraint.

 

[JJSmithJr]

Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife-Ife.

With the Governor and President refusing to call up the National Guard, and with the Local Authorities refusing to reestablish ballot access to any Communist Party candidates, the protests would take on a new nature. The Protesting students now numbered upwards of 18,000 all pouring now out of the University property and beginning a march on town hall. They would march in a massive sea, covering all sides of the streets and several side streets as well. Traffic and commerce would essentially come to a halt as shops were boarded up and traffic stopped. The Police Forces of Ife-Ife would now begin a withdrawal from the town and begin to set up a perimeter around the government buildings in the center of the town. Preparing for protesters to march en masse. The Mayor and other town officials would leave in personal vehicles and drive out the back of town avoiding protesters. The President and the Governor remained unaware of any escalation, as the Marchers continue towards the center of town, what little riot gear available would be distributed to police, most though would be armed with their service pistols and with police batons.

 

[JJSmithJr]

Ife-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

The Student Protest now gathering some 18,000 students began to lose order and control of its members as it entered the second month of its protests, however, the students had the Police of the town out numbered nearly 20:1 and the city was slowly turning into a state of Anarchy, looting began in the richer shops first, but eventually spread to homes, and hotels. The government of Ife began to make much more serious overtures to the Regional Governor and President, and on June 11th, President Goodluck Jonathan, declaring that the Governor failed to act, Nationalized the Osun National Guard, and called up its members.

Deployed Units

3,000 Nigerian National Guardsmen

Heavy Equipment:
81 Igirigi APC
54 ProForce ARA MRAP
27 ProForce Pf2 APC
54 Kalakian APC
27 CMC Cruiser
54 Delta Mini Cruiser
54 MMPV
3 ANOS Patriot Fire Truck
3 Barako Armored Escort Vehicle (anti-riot variant)
3 ANOS Penetrator Fire Truck

All units would carry their riot gear equipment of kevlar vests, helmets with facemasks, police batons, tear gas grenades, riot shields, and 9mm Beretta 92 handguns, loaded with full magazines. They would all carry extra magazines and tear gas grenades in their packs. They would then deploy at full mechanization to Ife-Ife. Their vehicles would be fully fueled and armed with extra food, water, fuel, and munitions loaded. They would then drive at a convoy. At the same time, the some 900 police of Ife-Ife would be deployed in force to begin to put down the rioters and looters. They would attack using police batons in force, trying to establish local numerical superiority. Their superior organization largely was effective, and large scale arrests of Communist Students began that night, including a raid that wiped out most of the leadership. The National Guardsmen would arrive in the early morning, when the town would then be put under Martial Law.

 

[JJSmithJr]

Ife-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Lt. General Buhari was both a competent military leader and an ambitious political operative, this combination had lead him to be at the head of the Nigerian National Guard, the largest combined military force in the country, while technically under the auspicious the Nigerian Army and their high command, Buhari had secured a high level of both political and operational autonomy. His unit were a large presence in every state, and Buhari himself was a PDP hardliner and close personal advisor of President Jonathan. As his unit secured Ife-Ife and pushed the protesters back into the University using brutal, but non-lethal riot police style raids. Batoning students and deploying large amount of tear gas and fire hoses on the crowds. He would arrive in the city and take personal control. As Martial Law was established the city council was temporarily dissolved and the local police force put under his command.

APCs and MRAPs would patrol the streets. In effect, the first of the student protests was over, but some of leaders had escaped jail, and the University now was reopened, however the city would remain under Martial Law, and the local elections would be cancelled. No polls would be open in Ife-Ife. An uneasy peace settled over the Osun State, over Ife-Ife, and over Nigeria as a response was awaited from the Communist Leadership.