OAU refutes claim of 2 students being arrested during Wike’s campus visit

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, have refuted reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) detained two students who staged a protest while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was delivering a lecture on Tuesday.

At the gathering held inside Oduduwa Hall, where Wike gave a speech titled “The Nigeria of Our Dreams,” two students whose identities were not revealed displayed placards and shouted in protest. The disturbance caught the attention of fellow students, with some appearing ready to confront the demonstrators.

Nevertheless, campus security officers acted quickly and removed the students from the venue, successfully preventing the situation from escalating.

After the incident, a widespread online report claimed that DSS agents had taken the protesters into custody. Addressing the allegation, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, labeled the report untrue.

“You were in the hall. You saw that the two students raised placards and were not disturbed,” Olarewaju explained. “Their shouting attracted other students who were about to descend on them, but the school security team intervened promptly.”

He called on the public to ignore the false information and stressed that the DSS had made no arrests related to the protest.

“They were rescued from their colleagues and escorted out to avert further harassment of the protesters. I can authoritatively tell you that they were not arrested. They have the right to protest, and they have exercised it.

“But other students too have rights, and to avoid a fight, the security team had to intervene and calm the situation.”