…As two students gain freedom
By Jeleel Olawale
Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun Statestormed the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in protest to a raid carried out by the anti-graft agency.
The anti-graft agency operatives raided two off-campus hostels, Finetouch and Superb, arresting over 70 students in the process.
The Students under the aegis of the Students Union Government of the University came in their numbers with buses to demand the freedom of their colleagues who were arrested overnight.
The Students Union President, Akinremi Abass said the students would not leave the premises of the commission if the arrested students were not released.
As at 6:30pm, the time of filing this report, the students were still stationed at the entrance of the Commission already barricaded by security officials awaiting the release of some of their colleagues.
Exclusive findings by Nigerian NewsDirect, also revealed that two students were freed around 8pm having been investigated and found not to be involved in any crime.
Meanwhile, the management of the University, has said a delegation from the school would visit the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission to profile those arrested in the early-hour raid on some hostels located outside the campus.
Speaking with journalists, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olanrewaju, who confirmed that some students of the university were arrested, could not, however, give the figure.
Olanrewaju, who said the intervention of the management was to ensure that the innocent students were not made to suffer, added that the situation on the campus of the institution has remained calm.
He said, “We are very much conscious of the fact that some people are reckless among our students. We are not acting under the illusion that our students are doing some criminal activities but what we don’t want is for the innocent ones to suffer.
“As I am talking to you now, we are on our way to Ibadan to know the exact number of our students that were arrested, we will profile them and after that, we will report to the management, then we now know what to do.”
On the situation on the campus after the raid, Olanrewaju said, “Everywhere is calm. Please know that the students were not arrested on campus. They were arrested at different hostels outside the campus but that is not to say that we will not take care of our students.
“We can’t say that because they were arrested outside the campus; we just keep quiet like that, no. We are going to Ibadan, the Zonal Office of the agency now.”