On August 27, 2021, the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu, successfully evacuated a three-week-old baby, the mother and other undergraduate students of Lagos extraction from the University of Jos (UNIJOS), following the recent attacks and killings in Plateau State.
The first set of evacuees, comprised of 64 UNIJOS students and the three-week-old-baby, named Daniella, who arrived in Lagos on August 27 and met with Governor Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, after which they were released to their families.
The students were accompanied by security personnel and government officials and they arrived at Alausa at 1:56 pm with their belongings in a luxury bus and other vehicles after several hours on the road from Jos to Lagos.
The students were excited and grateful to have been evacuated from the crisis-hit Jos and other parts of Plateau State which are currently experiencing violence and killings. They sang praises of Sanwo-Olu as well as thanked him and top officials of the Lagos State government for rescuing them from what they described as a ‘war zone.’
The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, while receiving the students, stated that the evacuation showed that the Lagos State government had the capacity to respond to any emergency when it concerns its people, especially the youth and also mentioned that welfare packages had been arranged for the students to return to their families safe and sound.
The Governor thanked God that no Lagosian’s life was lost in the attacks and during the rescue operation, and urged them to observe COVID-19 safety protocols and not to lose touch with their studies, as they returned to Lagos.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Kasali Adeniran, also stated the evacuation was another landmark response by the Sanwo-Olu administration.
Clinton Shotikare, a 200-level student of the Department of Religion and Philosophy UNIJOS, responded on behalf of other evacuees, thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for coming to their rescue.
“On behalf of other students, I am saying a big thank you to the Lagos State government, especially the governor. We appreciate the governor and the government for evacuating us from Plateau State. We feel happy, honoured, grateful and safe. We feel the impact of government,” he said.
Clinton, mentioned that they had been experiencing tense situations and sleepless nights since the beginning of the Plateau State crisis. He urged Lagos State Government not to relent in its efforts to rescue other Lagosians, especially students who are still stranded in the university.
Another student in the Department of Pharmacy, Edward Christiana, also appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu for evacuating the students from Jos.
