Drama as Varsity Staff, Students Stop Police From Arresting Vice Chancellor

On Wednesday, staff and students at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) successfully prevented police from attempting to arrest the university's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, at his residence in Ado-Ekiti. Ogunwole had raised an alarm that a group of policemen had surrounded his home and were unclear about their purpose. The university community, consisting of faculty and students, gathered in solidarity with the Vice-Chancellor to oppose the alleged arrest.

According to Ogunwole, the policemen arrived at his residence around 6:10 am, shortly after he had gone to bed at approximately 3 am. His children alerted him to the presence of security personnel. Initially hesitant, Ogunwole eventually agreed to come out of his house once he determined the officers were genuine and could explain the reason for their presence. The police informed him that they possessed a warrant, but Ogunwole insisted on being fully informed before leaving his residence.

The situation stemmed from a leaked audio recording, which Ogunwole claimed had prompted the university management to summon certain individuals, including the previous Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr. Kehinde Adeola, for questioning. The matter was subsequently taken to court, and Ogunwole had also filed a petition with the Inspector-General of Police regarding threats to his life and workplace.

He instructed his legal team to communicate to the police that the issue was already before the court and that he was prepared to respond to any lawful summons.