Osun Election: How Soldiers Held Student Leaders in Captive

The Nigeria Army on Friday evening arrested   about 30 Students of Osun State College of Education, Ilesa and confiscated a Bus belonging to the National Association of Nigeria Students NANS/ JCC, Osun Axis

Among the students that were arrested include Awowole Samuel, NANS JCC Chairman, Ibrahem Olanreaju, Odutola Olaniyi, and others

According to an eye witness, the students were arrested after coming from Osu, the Headquarters of Atakunmonsa West Local Government where they went to lodged complain over an attack by some suspected thugs a night before Friday.


The witness who was among the students that escaped from the arrest said " on Thursday night, a suspected PDP thug, Rasak Adewale popularly known as Kureke led a detachment of solders to Imola area in Ilesa dominated by the student and started chasing them away around 11 PM and this morning we resolved to report the case in Ayeso and they referred us to Osun Divisional Police Headquarters on coming back the soldiers stopped the vehicle and laid those in the vehicle down on the major road."

The arrested student leaders were later transferred to the African Grammar School, Ilesa,  the camp of the soldiers deployed for the election.

As at the time of filling this report, the student are still in the custody of the soldiers and independent findings indicated that the soldiers arrested the student on the instruction of the Former minister of State Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada whose town is very close to the area. She is sharing the same ward with the area.

Also, a source confirmed this night that the soldiers still invaded the area this night to trail the remaining students in the area.

However, the President of the National Association of Osun state students, Ojo Omowaiye has condemned the students arrest saying there was no basis for the arrest.

He alleged politicians who do not want student to vote as the brain behind the arrest adding that it was a "complete political persecution and urged the student not to exercise fear in exercising their right.