Over 70 students from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State, are reportedly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a midnight raid on off-campus residences.
On Wednesday morning, our correspondent received information from multiple sources indicating that the officers had broken into the rooms of the Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife, at around two in the morning, and taken the students into custody.
As of the time of press, the Students’ Union President, Abass Ojo, claimed that the union had information on “72 students picked up from the hostel with phones and cars taken away,” however the reasons for the arrest remained unconfirmed.
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The students were thrashed, according to Joy Abiola, a former union officer, who spoke with our correspondent.
It was between 1:40 and 4:00 in the morning that the EFCC officials arrived. “Those hostels are exclusively for students,” Joy remarked. “How can you arrest people for having cars, laptops, and iPhones?” she asked.
Another student, who went by the name Ewatee, claimed, “Those taken up included female pupils. Some first-year students were even detained when they went to meet their more experienced peers. The method is incorrect.
A number of young people claiming to be dormitory students were filmed by one of the students and shared with our correspondent. The footage showed them being herded into a white Hummer Bus while security guards beat them and gave them orders to get inside as soon as possible.
Approximately six cars could be seen travelling next the white Hummer Bus in a different video. Students reported that the officials were moving to Ibadan from the Ile-Ife region.
Olumide Egbodofo, the head of the EFCC’s Public Affairs Department at the Ibadan Zonal Command, was contacted and promised to provide an update on the situation.
The representative said, “A press release about that will be released shortly.”
Abiodun Olarewaju, the university’s spokeswoman, could not be reached at the time of publication.
