Federal University, Oye, Alleges Plot To Abduct VC, As He Evades Arrest By Detectives

By Ayodele Oni

What looks like a drama has been playing out at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, (FUOYE) since last week between Police Detectives from Alagbon, Lagos, and the University security personnel over a foiled plan to arrest the Vice Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fashina.

Their mission, according to sources, was to deliver a letter inviting the VC to their office to answer questions raised in a petition against him.

Issues raised in the petition, include alleged fraud, barely four months in office, and receiving salaries from two establishments.

The issue of double salary almost prevented Prof Fashina from emerging as the VC as his opponents produced documents, which were, allegedly, overlooked by the governing board during the screening process.

On Thursday and Friday, last week, the detectives laid siege on the Oye Ekiti campus of the university, insisting that they wanted to deliver the invitation letter to the VC personally.

However, FUOYE’s security personnel, led by the Chief Security Officer, (CSO) volunteered to receive the letter on behalf of his Principal.

It was further gathered that the VC, who was on seat on Thursday, had to be hurriedly smuggled out of the campus in another vehicle after he escaped through an unknown exit from his office, while his guests were kept waiting at the reception.

Reacting to the incident on Tuesday, the Media Office of the VC described the incident as an attempt to kidnap the VC by some persons.

A statement jointly signed by Foluso Ogunmodede, and Wole Balogun, explained that the VC was in his office on Thursday, July 17, 2021, carrying out his official duties.

“He was never arrested by any Federal Agent. The truth is that Prof. Fasina never collected any double salaries from any Institution, not even the Ekiti State University, (EKSU) , his former place of work, has accused him of collecting double salary. EKSU remains an institution with which he enjoys a cordial relationship with till date

“FUOYE Management wishes to inform the public that there was an attempt to abduct the Vice-Chancellor, on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

“The suspicious move of some officers, who claimed to have come from the NSFU allegedly to deliver a letter of invitation to the VC and insisted that the delivery must be made in person, gave the red signal.

“The security personnel in the University suspected a foul play when the suspected men failed to provide a written clearance from the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, but instead created an unneccesary drama by making frantic effort to find their way into the VC’s office with an obvious intention to whisk him away from the Campus.

“Eye-witnesses informed the Media office of the VC that the Officers wanted to force their way into the VC’s office after allegedly identifying themselves as officers from the NSFU.

“But the smart and professional security men attached to the Central Administration office of the University insisted that the strange men introduce themselves properly and also show incontrovertible evidence of the clearance from the Federal security agencies attached to Ekiti state and the University.

“We have no doubt that these men were on a sinister mission. But they failed woefully.

“The people who came never contacted us nor invited the Vice-Chancellor before they came. There is no agency of Government that has ever invited us that we did not honour the invitation.

“For example the ICPC, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and its counterpart in the House of Representatives, have invited us and we honoured all these invitations. So, we do not have any record of evading or not honouring Invitation by government agencies.

” This means that there is no basis for them to have done what they did. The manner in which they approached the matter showed clearly that they had sinister motives and that this could be a hacthet job. The fact that they came to the University without first approaching the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the institution and wanted to force their way into the office of the VC makes the whole move suspicious.

“We got to know later that they have been in Ekiti state days before the assault on the office of the VC. All these show that there was an intention to harrass, intimidate, and embarrass the VC and some top officials of the University. Whereas, as at the time of filing this report, the petition they claimed warranted this assault is not known to the VC nor any of the other officials they mentioned.

“It was only after the aborted coup that they came the second day with letters of invitation, and a list of documents they wanted the University to supply to their office; but the basis of such request remains unknown up till now.

“We want the whole world to know that this strange development has since thrown the whole University community into a serious tension and a state of apprehension.

The concern of many staff and students now is that if the VC could be so assaulted, without prior notice or invitation, who else is safe?

“We consider this as a breach of security protocol, and threat to the lives of the VC and the University communtity as a whole.

“We know the source of this sinister agenda: It is simply a case of fighting corruption and corruption fighting back.

“Only recently, the University Governing Council terminated the appointment of the esthwhile Registrar, Mr. Olatunbosun Odusanya and also suspended the Bursar, Mrs. Bolatito Akande for sundry allegations of corruption. Up till now, the former Registrar has held on to the official vehicle and University’s licensed gun. All attempts to retrieve these University properties from him have so far proved abortive.

“The bursar too, is supposed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the University Council this week for the determination of her case.

All these attempts to embarrass the VC through a seemingly predetermined arrest plot may not be unconnected to these cases. We know other measures they have taken in the past to frustrate out efforts at sanitising the University. But we refuse to be intimidated.

“In the light of this ugly development, the Management of FUOYE wishes to warn anyone with any criminal intent against the University or any Principal officers, to desist from any attempt to cause chaos and/or tension on the campus or disrupt the peace and stability the serene environment of the University has been enjoying.

”We wish to categorically declare that the students, staff and the campus security personnel are alert and would resist any attempt to kidnap anyone on the campus.

”Members of the University community are equally urged to remain alert and be security conscious and also follow strictly, every rule laid down by the University Management to forestall security breach on campus,” it added.