Amidst a charged atmosphere at the University of Ibadan, members of the Nigerian Army have reportedly apprehended and detained four individuals amidst a demonstration against increases in fees.
As per reports from PUNCH Online, the detained demonstrators, recognized as Aduwo Ayodele, Made Gbadegesin, Olorunfemi Adeyeye, and Nice Linus, were seized and transported away in an Army vehicle during protests on Monday.
Adeyeye, the National Secretary of the African Action Congress, managed to capture a troubling video while inside the vehicle. The footage shows a person in military attire clinging onto the speeding vehicle as it heads towards the Agodi area of Ibadan.
In a distress call shared via WhatsApp chat with our correspondent, Adeyeye mentioned, “UI security officers descended on us as I joined UI students in holding placards. They forcibly took us, assaulted us, and then summoned soldiers from Operation Burst.”
Attempts to contact the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Brig. General Onyema Nwachukwu, and the UI Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Adekeye Abiona, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Condemning the incident and urging the release of the protesters, the Take It Back Movement, a human rights group, stated on X, “Here is @activistfemi being transported to an undisclosed location by @HQNigerianArmy officers. He was apprehended by Operation Burst during an ongoing protest near the University of Ibadan. We strongly condemn this act and demand his immediate release.”
In April, the National Association of Nigerian Students denounced the “exorbitant” fee hike for incoming UI students, highlighting the financial strain it imposes on families already facing economic difficulties.
According to Victor Igbudu, the Public Relations Officer of NANS, the fee adjustments for the 2023/2024 academic session, ranging from N230,000 to N412,000, were deemed unacceptable.
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