15th March, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
No fewer than four women reportedly slumped in Abeokuta today as thousands of Nigerian job seekers stormed the Muda Lawal Stadium,Asero,Abeokuta,venue of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise today.
The women fainted after standing in the scorching sun waiting for the commencement of the screening of the applicants.
But the screening began at 3.30 p.m, six and half hours behind schedule.
As the crowd of applicants became rowdy, horse-whips were also applied and there were shots into the air as well.
One of the applicants blamed the officials of the NIS for the delay.
“They told us that some top officials will come from Abuja,and when those people came,they jumped the queue, and this did not go down well with some of us. This led to the disruption and the whole scenario became very tense.
“At a stage, rowdiness set in and some of us were horsewhipped like criminals, those of who tried to protest the injustice, became victims of horsewhipping like criminals and indiscriminate shootings”,the applicant narrated.
Another applicant,who said he graduated in 2008 from University of Lagos, Mass communication department lamented the whole process,saying, “it is an embarrassment to the NIS considered to be among disciplined service in the country. What we are witnessing today is a sham and a shame”,he fumed.
Spokesman of the NIS in the state, Felix Kuti,said the use of firearms and horsewhip became necessary in order to prevent break down of law and order.
According to Kuti, “They were getting unmanageable and you know this venue, with lots of cars and property, they were not scared away by the shooting. They said they are ready to die as they had began throwing stones and pebbles at the screening points”.
The Immigration PRO disclosed that those causing confusion were those that had been rejected at one of the three points, but refused to leave the premises.
He confirmed that the screening commenced late, the exercise started between 2-3 p.m and “we are almost through now (5.00pm) and that no official complaint of anybody fainting recorded”,he stated.
