Students under the banner of the National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS), Coalition of Yoruba Students, and the Yoruba Movement on Tuesday staged a peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, Oyo State, in solidarity with the Dangote Refinery, which is currently embroiled in a dispute with oil unions and petroleum marketers.
The protesters, who gathered at the Iwo Road Roundabout, along the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway, chanted solidarity songs and marched through major streets of the city, calling for government protection of the refinery.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery,” “#StopSabotagingFuelInNigeria,” “#EndPENGASSAN,” “#EndDAPPMAN,” and “#DangoteRefineryIsANationalAsset,” the students expressed concern over what they described as “a coordinated attempt by vested interests to frustrate the operations of the refinery.”
The demonstrators, dressed in matching shirts bearing the message “Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery,” said the protest was meant to draw the attention of the Federal Government and Nigerians to the importance of safeguarding the multi-billion-dollar facility — Africa’s largest oil refinery — from industrial and political sabotage.
Addressing journalists during the rally, NAOS President, Olalere Adetunji, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and relevant federal agencies to intervene swiftly to ensure that disputes involving oil unions and marketers do not undermine national energy security.
“We want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to protect the refinery. The actions of labour groups and marketers should not be allowed to derail Nigeria’s progress towards fuel self-sufficiency and economic independence,” Adetunji stated.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), were deployed around the protest routes to maintain law and order throughout the peaceful demonstration.
The students described the Dangote Refinery as a national pride and a symbol of hope for Nigeria’s industrial and economic renaissance, urging all stakeholders to support its successful operation for the benefit of all Nigerians.
