The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said a delegation from the school would visit the Ibadan Zonal Office the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to profile those arrested in the early-hour raid on some hostels located outside the campus.
Speaking with The PUNCH, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olanrewaju, who confirmed that some students of the university were arrested, could not, however, give the e 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.”
Over 70 students of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Osun State were reportedly arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a midnight raid on hostels outside the campus.
Multiple sources in Ile-Ife confirmed to our correspondent on Wednesday morning that the officials, around 2 a.m., stormed the Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife, broke into rooms, and arrested the students.
Reasons for the arrest have not been confirmed as of press time, but the Students’ Union President, Abass Ojo, said the union had details of “72 students picked up from the hostel with phones and cars taken away.”
A former union official, Joy Abiola, told our correspondent that the students were beaten.
“The EFCC officials came between 1:40 a.m and 4:00 a.m. Only students stay in those hostels,” Joy said, adding, “How can you arrest people for owning iPhones, laptops, and cars?”
Another student, identified simply as Ewatee, said, “Female students were among those picked up. Even some fresh students who just went to greet their senior colleagues were arrested. The approach is wrong.”
