Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have raided some students hostels in Oduduwa Estate near the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, in the early hours of Wednesday, arresting over 70 students.
According to an occupant and eyewitness who stays at Fine Touch Hostel, the officials came with official vehicles and EFCC jackets. The raiding started around past 1am as they forcefully entered rooms and went away with students.
Another student who stays in SuperB Hostel said the officials of the EFCC came and started hitting doors, asking people to open up.
“When they came to my room, they asked me to switch on the light, asked for my man and checked the toilet and kitchen, then left. They came back and asked me to switch off my phone then left again,” the student stated.
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According to the acting CSO of the institution identified only as Adegboyega, while speaking to newsmen, he confirmed the invasion of the students’ hostels and the arrest of some students.
It was gathered that calls were made to the Divisional Police Officer of the Mooro Police Station.
The DPO confirmed it was not a robbery operation, contrary to initial rumours, but rather men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operation.
The DPO confirmed to the acting CSO that his policemen were around the troubled area as at the time the EFCC were making the arrests.
Speaking further, he said he expected that the concerned students should come to the security unit of the institution to lodge a formal report and from there, the police would know what to do.
Meanwhile, students and alumni of the University have taken to social media especially on the X platform to denounce the incident.
The Students’ Union has also released a tweet, condemning the recent unjust arrest and harassment of students by members of the EFCC in the odd hours of the day.
“We strongly condemn the recent unjust arrest and harassment of our fellow students by members of the EFCC @officialEFCC in the odd hours of today, Nov 1st, 2023. This action is unacceptable and goes against the principles of justice and due process.#OAUTwitter #FreeOAUStudents
More reports however indicated that Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Wednesday, stormed the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan to protest the arrest of their colleagues by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the students, who came in three Coaster buses and three Hummer buses, were said to have stormed the commission’s office to secure the release of their arrested colleagues.
NAN also learnt that the protesting students were led by the leadership of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the institution.
