The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has denied reports in some media platforms that two students of the university were arrested and whisked away by security operatives for protesting the presence of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike on the school’s campus.
Two students identified as Oladapo Joshua and Ejike Kelechi are seen in a video circulating online holding placards in protest of alleged demolition of houses in Abuja by the minister. In the video seen by our reporter, a man dressed in suit is seen accompanied by a woman as the placards were taken down and the students escorted away from the hall.
However, a source in the school who spoke to FACTSHEET on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the matter told our correspondent that “I don’t think they were arrested. They were just told to leave the hall and respect a guest of the school management.”
Speaking on the alleged arrest of the students, the spokesman of the university, Abuodun Olarewaju who spoke to journalists stated that the two students were merely escorted out of the hall to prevent being harassed by other students at the events.
His clarification comes amid reports that two students were arrested by security operatives over protests against Wike, who is at OAU to deliver the Distinguished Personality Lecture at the university’s Oduduwa Hall on the topic, “Nigeria of Our Dreams.”
He said, “Everybody has a right to protest, and the minority, microscopic minorities, should not disrupt what the overwhelming majority allows.
“So, they were not arrested; they were only escorted out of the Oduduwa Hall. We didn’t want the situation to escalate, because some of their colleagues were the ones who accosted them.
“You know, when about 20 students descended on two students, something could happen. So, the security operatives there just apprehended the two students and took them out of the hall.”
“They rescued them (the students) from being beaten by their colleagues.”
