The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is in discussions with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following the apprehension of 69 individuals suspected of internet fraud, including numerous university students. Subsequently, 58 of these students were released late on Wednesday.
In a midnight operation, EFCC officials conducted a raid on hostels near the OAU campus, including Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife. They entered rooms and apprehended the students. The Students' Union President, Akinremi Ojo, expressed concern, noting that the union had information about "72 students picked up from the hostel, with their phones and cars confiscated." He demanded the students' release while criticizing the arrests' manner.
READ ALSO: EFCC Arrests Over 70 OAU Students In Midnight Raid
Joy Abiola, a former union official, reported that the students were subjected to physical violence during the arrests. Abiola explained that EFCC officials arrived between 1:40 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., emphasizing that only students resided in those hostels. She questioned the justification for arresting individuals with iPhones, laptops, and cars, as some of the students were technology enthusiasts.
Videos circulated by students showed them being forcibly loaded into a white Hummer bus by security personnel. In another video, a convoy of vehicles, including the white Hummer Bus, departed Ile-Ife for the EFCC zonal office in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Subsequently, the EFCC issued a statement on its verified Facebook page, confirming the arrest of 69 suspects in Ile-Ife but refraining from disclosing whether they were students. The agency stated that the arrests were based on actionable intelligence related to suspected fraudulent internet activities in the Oduduwa Estate area.
The arrested individuals have reportedly provided statements to the EFCC and will be charged in court once investigations are completed. In response, OAU students and union officers protested at the EFCC office in Ibadan, demanding the release of their colleagues while facing a heavy security presence.
The Osun Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students also denounced the arrests, highlighting the lack of justification and evidence for invading the students' residences and transporting them to Ibadan.
The Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed that the university's management was in discussions with EFCC officials. He further noted that 58 students had been released, while the remaining 11 faced legal proceedings.
