Final year students of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, celebrating the end of their studies were on Friday tear-gassed, resulting in injuries to some students while others were rushed to the hospital, with the school management ordering the students not to post the incident on social media.

There were many students who wore white shirts and an ambulance in the premises in a video seen by FIJ.

“It was just 7pm and they were stopping the rally. They always impose rules like we are animals,” a student wrote.

“The security and Dean of Student Affairs started throwing tear gas everywhere. Students were suffocating; they didn’t even care about those who had health conditions.

“It’s a university, not a prison. Parents kept their children in their care now they released tear gas endangering the lives of students. It affected even those who were just going to buy food or going to their hostel. They threw inside the hostel.”

Tamara Adenyefar said: “My sibling fell ill this morning and we are thinking it’s the after-effect from the tear gas, as she was on her way to get food when the whole thing happened.

“The final year students were celebrating their finals and they had a peaceful rally.”

FIJ was told that the school ordered students to remove posts of the incident on social media or risk being expelled.

“My sibling said that they were telling them to take down all the post if they made any because it could cost them their studentship.”

ABUAD is a privately-owned university founded in 2009 by lawyer Afe Babalola.

Phone calls and emails to ABUAD requesting comments were not answered.