Tension escalated at the University of Ibadan on Monday as Nigerian Army officers arrested and detained four individuals during a protest against the recent fee hike.
The detainees, identified as Aduwo Ayodele, Made Gbadegesin, Olorunfemi Adeyeye, and Nice Linus, were apprehended and taken away in an Army van.
Adeyeye, the National Secretary of the African Action Congress, managed to record a distressing video from inside the van, showing a man in military uniform clinging to the vehicle as it sped towards the Agodi area of Ibadan.
According to The PUNCH, Adeyeye described the incident, stating that university security officers attacked and beat them before calling in soldiers from Operation Burst.
He wrote, “UI security officers swooped on us as I joined UI students to raise placards. They dragged us, beat us, and then called soldiers from Operation Burst.”
The arrests occurred during a swearing-in ceremony for new Students’ Union executives, as protesters voiced their opposition to the fee hike. A student, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the arrests and expressed fear of victimization.
Human rights group, the Take It Back Movement, condemned the arrests and demanded the protesters’ immediate release.
The National Association of Nigerian Students had previously denounced the fee hike, citing financial burdens on families already struggling with economic challenges.
The Nigerian Army spokesperson and the UI Dean of Students Affairs are yet to respond on the issue.
