UPDATED: University of Lagos students protest, give 7-day ultimatum to replace 'bedbug' mattresses

University of Lagos

Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Monday, gave the institution’s authorities a seven-day ultimatum to replace all mattresses in the halls of residence. UNILAG’s Students Union President, Mr Abiodun Martins, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos State. NAN reported that the students had, earlier in the day, protested against what they described as massive invasion of mosquitoes and bedbugs in their halls of residence. The students had shut the gate of the institution while the protest lasted, thereby making it impossible for workers living outside the institution to have access and resume work. According to Martins,
the students decided to protest because the bugs and mosquitoes are making life unbearable for them, as many of them could hardly sleep after the day's activities. "We want this management to be proactive in responding to the demands of the students. The authorities must not always wait for a crisis or protest to erupt before they react," he said. He said that the issue had been raised with the authorities before now and that nothing was done. "There is a limit to which students can bear and I feel what they were protesting against is not out of place, because they paid for it," he added. According to him, the whole place was recently fumigated, but it seemed that the bugs had developed resistance to the chemical. "So, what we are asking for now is for the authorities to look for a lasting solution to this challenge. We hereby give them a seven-day ultimatum, beginning from today, to replace all the old mattresses. "We want them to burn all the old mattresses, fumigate the hostels, do away with all the fittings, and then bring in new mattresses," he said. The students’ leader said that no matter the challenges facing the institution’s authorities, it should ensure that the interests of the students were always given top priority. One of the students, Maxwell Abayomi, said that the students marched out of their respective hostels for the protest as early as3.00 a.m. to express their displeasure over the development. According to him, the presence of the bugs had left a sour taste in the mouths of the students, adding that the development constituted a serious health hazard.