UI Security Allegedly Slaps Journalist, Assaults Students During SU Inauguration

The management of the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State has been accused of manhandling students during the inauguration of the school’s Students’ Union.

UI is Nigeria’s first and oldest university. It was established in 1948 as University College, Ibadan, an affiliate of the University of London.

It later became a fully independent university in 1962, following Nigeria’s independence.

Videos seen by SaharaReporters show the students being manhandled by the school’s security officials.

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One of the affected students, Nice Linus, a 300-level Law student, was reportedly denied the opportunity to be sworn in as an elected member of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC).

The inauguration of newly elected members of the SRC and the Executive Council was scheduled to take place today (Friday), March 7, 2025.

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According to accounts gotten by SaharaReporters, despite being elected as the majority leader of the Awo Hall constituency, Linus was prevented from taking the oath of office.

“My democratic election as a member of the SRC and majority leader of Awo Hall constituency on March 1 qualified me to attend the inauguration as part of the elected SRC members,” Linus said.

“So, I attended and took my seat with fellow honourables. Unfortunately, when it was time to take my oath of office, the personnel handing over the form told me she wasn’t authorized to give me my inauguration form, where I was supposed to fill in my name, sign, and submit it later.”

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It was also reported that security personnel dragged Linus out of the hall, assaulting her in the process.

“As I returned to my seat, two security personnel stopped me. As I tried to understand their stance and explain mine, I saw several other security officers barricade me. I was then dragged out of the hall, through the stairs, manhandled, and assaulted,” Linus recounted.

Another affected student, Samuel Damilare, a 300-level Political Science student, was present at Trenchard Hall when Linus was being dragged out by three security agents.

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Damilare stated that when he tried to intervene, his clothes were torn, and his phone was forcefully taken, resulting in a damaged screen. Three of his friends were also assaulted.

Another affected student, Olajide Olawale, was reportedly brutalized by university officials.

According to reports from the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan, a journalist identified simply as Akanni was slapped, had his phone seized, and was subsequently arrested.

His ordeal occurred while he was attempting to cover the harassment of students by the university management.

The hostility of the university management towards the students may be linked to a protest against a fee hike in May 2024.

On Monday, May 13, 2024, students protested against the fee increase during a Students’ Union event.

Following the protest, they were arrested by the University of Ibadan security unit and later summoned before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee on July 2, 2024.

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It was noted that the university management has continued to harass the affected students after the incident.

SaharaReporters previously reported that protesters, including activist Femi Adeyeye, were arrested and detained by the university’s security team at the time before being handed over to Operation Burst soldiers in Oyo State.

The report stated that Adeyeye, Nice Linus, Aduwo Ayodele, and Mide Gbadegbesin were dragged and beaten by the security team for protesting against the tuition fee hike before being transferred to Operation Burst.

Following the 2024 incident, Adeyeye confirmed to SaharaReporters that they were assaulted by the school’s security team before being handed over to the military unit during the #FeesMustFall protest.

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“We are presently at Operation Burst. UI security officers swooped on us as I joined UI students to raise placards inside the hall, directly in front of the VC.

“They dragged us, beat us, and then called soldiers from Operation Burst,” he said at the time.

SaharaReporters reached out to the school’s Deputy Registrar/Public Relations Officer, Directorate of Public Communication, Mrs Adejoke O. Akinpelu, for comments on the latest harassment of students. However, she neither answered the calls nor responded to the text message sent to her as of the time of this report.

Source: SaharaReporters