On Thursday, June 5, a protest by some students during the visit of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike to the campus caused drama at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The minister was asked to give a Distinguished Personality Lecture on the subject of “Nigeria of Our Dreams” at the university’s Oduduwa Hall.
Two students, Oladepo Joshua and Ejike Kelechi, protested inside the hall during the event, holding signs calling for compensation for those who had been harmed by recent demolitions in the Federal Capital Territory.
After creating a commotion and momentarily interrupting Wike’s lecture, security guards quickly led them away.
According to witnesses, some students became enraged with the protesters, and the situation could have descended into chaos.
“They were in Oduduwa Hall for the event Wike came for. We presently don’t know their whereabouts,” said a student who identified herself as Gift, speaking out of fear of victimization.
Another source added, “I’m just getting to Floor 0. They were taken there along with security details attached to Wike. They wanted to take them away, but security operatives appealed to Wike’s security officials not to.”
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, dismissed claims that the students were arrested, clarifying they were removed from the venue for their own safety.
“Everybody has a right to protest,” Olarewaju said in a phone interview. “But minorities, microscopic minorities, should not disrupt what the overwhelming majority allows.”
“So, they were not arrested; they were only escorted out of Oduduwa Hall. We didn’t want the situation to escalate, especially since some of their colleagues were accosting them.”
He added, “When about 20 students descended on two students, something could have happened. So, security operatives just took the two students out of the hall.”
However, some student groups have pushed back on the management’s narrative.
The Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neoliberal Attacks (ANSA) condemned what it described as the “arrest” of the protesters and demanded their immediate release.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of our comrades. We urge the Nigerian public, the Great Ife Students’ Union, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, other progressive unions, civil society groups, the media, and all defenders of justice to rise in condemnation of this repression,” ANSA’s Deputy National Coordinator, Ikechukwu John, said in a statement sent to The PUNCH.
Similarly, the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) also criticized the incident.
“The removal of those student activists is unacceptable and highlights the authoritarian climate on campuses,” said Adaramoye Michael, the group’s National Mobilisation Officer
The Students’ Union of OAU said it was still gathering details about the event.
“As of this time, I just heard rumours. I was not in attendance at the event and don’t have a detailed report yet,” the union’s Public Relations Officer, Aka Daniel, said when contacted.
