Outrage swept through Ado-Ekiti as staff and students of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti protested an early-morning attempt by police officers to arrest Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joshua Ogunwole.
ADO-EKITI, Nigeria — Tensions flared in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday as university staff and students gathered at the residence of Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), to protest an early-morning attempt by police officers to take him into custody.
Academic, non-academic staff, and student leaders quickly mobilized to the VC’s private home after reports surfaced that armed policemen had surrounded the premises.
Addressing newsmen during the standoff, Prof. Ogunwole revealed that officers arrived at his official residence around 6:10 a.m., prompting his children to alert him to the heavy security presence outside.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that he initially declined to step outside due to security concerns and uncertainty regarding the officers’ credentials or mission.
According to Ogunwole, the team claimed to possess an arrest warrant. However, he maintained that he requested formal documentation and clarification regarding the specific allegations, linking the situation to an internal dispute involving a leaked audio recording that is currently subject to university committee review and pending court litigation.
“Somebody of my calibre will not run away. Rather than surrounding my house, there are other better approaches to invite me,” Ogunwole stated. He emphasized that he had previously honored police invitations accompanied by legal counsel and had already petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over threats to his life.
“There is no turning back. Our mission is to create a new face for FUOYE. No U-turn, no diversion. We are resolute,” he added.
Staff unions operating within the institution forcefully condemned the security action, terming it a targeted attempt to derail ongoing administrative reforms.
Dr. Ojo Fagbuagun, Chairman of the FUOYE branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), accused disgruntled individuals opposed to Ogunwole’s anti-corruption stance of orchestrating the raid. Fagbuagun pointed to administrative friction stemming from internal audits into financial mismanagement and irregular promotions.
“We are here this morning to show the whole world that our VC cannot be intimidated,” Fagbuagun declared. “The union will resist further attempts to harass or intimidate the vice-chancellor.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Oluwashola Babafemi, Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), alongside Mr. Emmanuel Adegun, Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), stated that union members mobilized to defend institutional stability, praising Ogunwole’s focus on staff welfare and structural progress.
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