The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has refuted claims suggesting that hoodlums attacked one of its vehicles in transit, making away with graduation gowns. In a statement released on Tuesday by the university’s spokesperson, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, it was clarified that the incident was related to crowd control.
The statement reads, “The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Management wishes to debunk certain online reports claiming that the University was attacked by hoodlums on Monday, January 15, 2024. So, for the purpose of clarification, the incident that occurred at the university on the said date had to do with crowd control during the release of academic gowns to graduating students of the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) ahead of their convocation ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 18.
“And during the incident, some yet-to-be-issued gowns were taken, and the vehicle where the gowns were kept and being distributed from was damaged by some suspected students who may have lost patience of waiting. The incident is currently being investigated to ascertain its cause, culpable individuals, level of damage, and to prevent a recurrence.
“So, we appreciate our esteemed stakeholders for their concern, and plead with the general public to disregard wild narratives trailing the incident.”
UNILAG is currently hosting its 54th convocation ceremonies, with a total of 17,464 students set to graduate with degrees and diplomas.