The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Simeon Bamire, has appealed to students of the institution who were victims of the raid on some off-campus hostels along Ife/Ibadan Road by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to put the experience behind them and move on.
EFCC operatives stormed hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife in the early hours of Wednesday and arrested 69 students of the university.
The students were taken to the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission, where they were detained.
But the management of the institution, as well as the parents and guardians of the affected students, secured freedom for 59 of them on Wednesday.
Giving an update on the matter on Thursday, the Vice Chancellor, in a statement signed by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, commended the EFCC for the quick profiling and release of the students, adding that colleagues of the affected students pressing for their release also exhibited discipline in their agitations.
The statement read partly, “After a spirited effort by the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, which sent representatives to the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to intervene in the case of arrested students, the EFCC has released 59 of the students.
“While thanking the officials of the EFCC for the quick profiling and eventual release of the students in less than 24 hours, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Simeon Bamire urged the EFCC to partner with the management of various Institutions of higher learning to organise workshops for students across faculties to sensitise the students about the danger of financial crimes and cyber criminalities.
“The Vice Chancellor, therefore, appealed to students who were victims of the raid to put the experience behind them and move on with their lives. He lauded other students who rallied round their affected colleagues for being their brothers’ keepers without being violent nor exhibiting any act of vandalism.”
