Army Arrests Four During Fee Hike Protest In University of Ibadan
In a queasy turn of events at the University of Ibadan, officers of the Nigerian Army have reportedly arrested and detained four individuals amid a protest against fee increase.
The detained protesters, identified as Aduwo Ayodele, Made Gbadegesin, Olorunfemi Adeyeye, and Nice Linus, were apprehended and bundled into an Army van during a Monday demonstration.
Adeyeye, the National Secretary of the African Action Congress, managed to record a distressing video while inside the van. In it, a man in military uniform is clinging to the vehicle as it speeds towards the Agodi area of Ibadan.
In a distress message, Adeyeye said, “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.”
A student, requesting anonymity disclosed that the arrests happened concurrently with a swearing-in ceremony for the new Students’ Union executives, with protesters voicing their dissent against the fee hike.
The National Association of Nigerian Students in April denounced the “outrageous” fee hike for new UI students, citing financial burdens imposed on families already battling with economic challenges.
According to NANS Public Relations Officer, Victor Igbudu, the fee hike for the 2023/2024 academic session, which ranged from N230,000 to 412,000, was unacceptable.
