The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS ) Kwara state chapter, Monday, said they would not participate in the ongoing protest to shut down flight operations  at the international airport over lingering strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Kwara state Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, extracted the assurance of Kwara students at a consultative meeting with the president and some executive members of  the state’s  chapter of NANS.

NANS’ national leadership had directed students to shut down flight  operations of the airports in South- west zone including Ilorin International Airport,  in compliance with the directive of the national students body in solidarity with members of ASUU who are on strike.

But the NANS leadership in the state clarified that the directive was only binding on the Zone D axis of the association which comprises of states in the South- west  of the country, while Kwara state is in Zone C comprising states in North -central axis.

These were contained in a statement issued by the state’s  Police Public Relations Officer,(PPRO), Okasanmi Ajayi,  on behalf of the CP.

Ajayi said the CP took time to explain to the student leaders of the dangers of embarking on the planned protest, which according to him, could be hijacked by hoodlums like the EndSARS protest of 2020.

The statement reads in part: “The Commissioner of Police, Kwara state Police command, CP Paul Odama, had a consultative meeting with the president and some  executive members of the  NANS, Kwara state chapter, on the need to stop the planned  shutting down of flight  operations of the airports in South west zone, including Ilorin International Airport, in compliance with the directive of the national students body in solidarity with members of ASUU who are on strike.

“The Cp spoke to the student leaders on the need to set aside the planned protest and allow the government and ASUU settle their differences amicably.

“He  made it clear to the students that he was ready at all times to cooperate with the students as he expects them to reciprocate, explaining to them the dangers inherent in embarking on such economic damaging protest which could be hijacked by hoodlums, like it happened during the End Sars protest of 2020.

“In his response, the president of the students union, Mr Suleiman Yusuf Issa, reiterated his unalloyed support and admiration to the Kwara state Police command.”