OOU and mapoly students arrested by EFCC

Tension is brewing on the campuses of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago Iwoye, the Federal University of Agriculture, FUNAAB, Abeokuta and the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, Abeokuta following the raids on students’ hostels by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Agents of the EFCC had in the early hours of Wednesday stormed off-campus hostels inhabited by the students in a military-like operation, arresting no fewer than 30 students.

The affected hostels are located in Ibogun campus of OOU, Abule Ojere, Safari areas for MAPOLY students and Alabata area for FUNAAB students. Apart from arresting the students, valuable items such as cars, laptops were also carted away.

Though the spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the development, he did not disclose the whereabouts of the arrested students. He, however, said they are safe.

Reacting to the arrest, the Public Relations Officer of the Students Union Government of OOU, Samson Adeyemi, decried the Gestapo like approach adopted by the EFCC.

He faulted their breaking down doors and windows of students homes in the dead of the night to effect the arrests.

“They should carry the student leaders and management of schools along before doing things like this. They should have confidence in us. Nobody is in support of criminal activities but there must be decorum in what we do.

A number of innocent individuals were harassed. Some were rudely woken up from sleep. We don’t want a situation whereby such a development would lead to confrontation, ” he said.

Similarly, the PRO of MAPOLY SUG, Johnson Idowu, said the union was yet to get report of any of its members being arrested, but cautioned that the EFCC must find a better way of doing its job rather than acting in a manner that it would be difficult to differentiate between its agents and real armed robbers.