Students from the National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS), the Coalition of Yoruba Students, and the Yoruba Movement held a peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday to show support for the Dangote Refinery amid its ongoing conflict with oil unions and petroleum marketers.
The demonstrators assembled at the Iwo Road Roundabout along the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway, where they sang solidarity songs and marched through key streets of the city, urging the government to safeguard 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 aimed 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 said.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), were deployed along 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.
