A civil society organisation, Hybrid Culture, Technology and Innovation Promotion Initiative (HyCuTIPI) has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to issue an official, transparent account of the incident on the dramatic early-morning police operation at the Ado-Ekiti residence of FUOYE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole.
The operation on September 30 involved armed police officers reportedly dispatched from the Lagos State Police Command. The officers sought to apprehend the Vice-Chancellor over a petition linked to key university figures, including former Vice-Chancellor Professor Abayomi Fasina and former Dean of Law Dr. Kehinde Adetola. The move sparked an immediate standoff as gathered university staff and students prevented officers from transferring Professor Ogunwole out of Ekiti State.
Unanswered Questions Surrounding the FUOYE Vice-Chancellor Police Operation
In a joint statement co-signed by HyCuTIPI President Ambassador David Ademola Adejuwon and Executive Secretary H.H. Olutoyin Oloniteru, the group highlighted that while the Nigeria Police Force possesses a statutory mandate to investigate petitions, statutory powers must be exercised within the boundaries of due process and administrative transparency.
HyCuTIPI noted that Professor Ogunwole—a respected academic, administrator, and Trustee of the initiative—has expressed full willingness to cooperate with any legitimate, lawful investigation. To dispel public speculation and de-escalate rising campus tensions, the organization outlined five key areas requiring immediate official clarification from the Inspector-General of Police:
- The specific police formation or tactical unit tasked with executing the early-morning action.
- The legal authority and jurisdictional oversight under which the operation was launched.
- Whether a valid arrest warrant was formally issued, including the issuing authority and specific scope of the warrant.
- The exact nature, origin, and investigative status of the underlying petition.
- The legal and administrative justification for deploying officers from the Lagos State Police Command to conduct an operation in Ekiti State.
Protecting Institutional Integrity and Academic Stability at FUOYE
Emphasising the strategic national importance of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), HyCuTIPI cautioned against actions capable of disrupting academic activities or damaging the institution’s standing.
“Federal University, Oye-Ekiti is an important national institution whose reputation must be preserved and academic activities should not be unnecessarily disrupted by an unresolved administrative or investigative matter,” the statement noted.
The advocacy group urged all involved parties—including security agencies, university administrative factions, the media, and the general public—to exercise maximum restraint. HyCuTIPI emphasized the importance of distinguishing between unverified petition allegations and established factual findings while demanding that Professor Ogunwole receive full legal protection and fair treatment throughout the process.
