The administration of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has stated that it is in discussions with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in response to the apprehension of 69 individuals suspected of internet fraud, a significant number of whom are students of the university.
On Wednesday, fifty-eight of the students were subsequently released.
During a late-night operation, EFCC officials conducted a raid on hostels located outside the OAU campus, specifically Fine Touch and Superb hostels in the Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife. They forcibly entered rooms and apprehended the students.
The President of the Students’ Union, Akinremi Ojo, revealed that the union had information on “72 students picked up from the hostel with phones and cars confiscated.” He called for the release of the students and criticized the approach of the arrests.
A former union official, Joy Abiola, reported that some students were subjected to physical violence during the arrests.
Abiola stated, “The EFCC officials arrived between 1:40 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.” and questioned the justification of arresting individuals for owning iPhones, laptops, and cars, noting that some of the students were tech-savvy experts.
A video shared by one of the students showed them being loaded onto a white Hummer Bus by security officials, who were seen forcefully moving them.
In another video, several vehicles, including the white Hummer Bus, were observed leaving Ile-Ife for the EFCC zonal office in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Later, the EFCC confirmed the arrest of 69 suspects in Ile-Ife through a statement on its verified Facebook page.
The agency listed the names of the suspects but did not disclose their status as students.
The arrests occurred on November 1, 2023, in the Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife, Osun State, based on credible intelligence suggesting their involvement in fraudulent online activities.
The EFCC noted that the suspects had provided useful statements and would be prosecuted once investigations were completed.
Following the arrests, numerous OAU students, along with union representatives, assembled in Ile-Ife and traveled to the EFCC office in Ibadan to demand the release of their peers.
They staged protests as armed security personnel surrounded the EFCC premises.
The Osun Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students also issued a statement condemning the students’ arrests, emphasizing the lack of justification or evidence for the invasion of their residences and their transfer to Ibadan.
The Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed that the university’s management was at the EFCC office in Ibadan and stated that 58 of the students had been released, while the remaining 11 would face charges.
