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| Ifemosu |
A 200-Level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Michael Adewale Ifemosu, who was expelled by the university on Friday, has attributed his expulsion to his relationship with the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore.
Ifemosu also said the university showed him the way out as a result of another open letter he wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, on the indiscriminate arrest of students by the police.
African Advocate gathered that Ifemosu on October 2, posted an open letter on Facebook, wherein he called on the IGP to investigate the Ogun State Commissioner of Police and the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ogun State due to what he termed "an unimaginable scale of Intimidation, Harassment, and Extortion of Student living around the Prestigious institution of ours, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) located at Alabata, Odeda Local Government, Abeokuta, Ogun State."
The embattled student claimed to have written the letter after he allegedly became a victim of police harassment in FUNAAB.
But, FUNAAB said Ifemosu was expelled because he posted an open letter on the internet to the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Kolawole Salako, in which he was said to have raised what it called allegations and misrepresentation of fact about the university.
Ifemosu alleged that the October open letter he wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu, and his consistent activism to bring about the development of the university community, which he said was prone to incessant armed-robbery attacks, cost him his studentship of the institution.
His words: “The allegations against me are based on my alliance with Sowore and the #RevolutionNow Movement. I was told by high-ranking officials within the university management.
“There was an open letter I wrote to the Inspector-General of Police on the incessant armed robbery attacks within the university community.
“So, I was secretly told that my expulsion is also linked to that letter, due to the fact that my letter almost got Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, removed.
“I was told that there was a publication made by Sahara Reporters concerning the incessant robbery in FUNAAB, hence the school management felt I was definitely the one who gave the report to Sahara Reporters due to my alliance with Sowore.”
Meanwhile, in Ifemosu's letter of expulsion signed by the Registrar, Dr Bola Adekola, the university maintained that it expelled the student for writing an open letter on Facebook to the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB.
See Ifemosu's (unedited) open letter to Inspector General of Police on October 2:
"OPEN LETTER TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE ON THE BARBARIC, DRACONIAN AND UNPROFESSIONAL HARRASMENT AND EXTORTION OF STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE ABEOKUTA BY THE MEN OF THE SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS), SPECIAL ANTI-CULTISM SQUAD (SACS), SPECIAL ANTI-KIDNAPPING SQUAD (SARS) AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE SQUAD (IGPS)
IFEMOSU MICHAEL ADEWALE.
"Mr. Muhammad Adamu, mni
The Inspector General of Police
The Nigeria Police Force Headquarters
Louis Edet House
Abuja, Nigeria.
October 2, 2019.
Dear Sir,
"Our Lives begin to end the day we are silent on things that Matter~ Martin Luther King Jr.
"There is an urgent need for the Inspector General of Police to investigate and prosecute, if necessary, the Commissioner of Police of Ogun State, the Divisional Police Officer Harmony Police Station, and OC/SARS, SARS, SACS in Ogun State as there has been an unimaginable scale of Intimidation, Harassment, and Extortion of Student living around the Prestigious institution of ours, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) located at Alabata, Odeda Local Government, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
"I am everyday dazed by the unrepentant corrupt practices, extortion, intimidation, harassment, bribery and questionable character of most officers of the organisation, with harassment and extortion taking prominence over the ultimate mandate of the body.
"I am baffled by the conscientious display of disgraceful act and how shamelessly most men of the organization have publicly insulted the intelligence of citizens (Students) meant to be protected, ridiculing and dragging the integrity of the organization on the mud.
"Importantly, the Federal government and the Nigeria Police Force must quickly look into the allegation of Students residing along Gate, Oluwo-Keesin, Isolu, Camp under Odeda local government in Ogun State, on how the Men of the Nigerian Police Force attached to safeguard the route and road have suddenly turned themselves to beggars and armed robbers in uniforms.
"Students can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed because of the daily and perpetual infringement of rights which is now a norm amongst the aforementioned sections in the police force.
"Students of Funaab are no longer safe and we can't continue to act like it so cool because the order of the day has been a daily harassment of students all in the name of combating crimes that Gross Funaabites are Innocent of.
"It is imperative to know that in any Student Environment, the use of Exotic Cars and Phones shouldn't be a yard stick to categorize all as Yahoo Boys as Gross Funaabites are known for their Entrepreneurship Acumen which has yielded profits enough to get phones and wears even cars; The I.G sir, 65% of Funaabites are Hardworking in Entertainment, Business and Entrepreneurship Initiatives.
"One begins to wonder when the Police Department has suddenly become the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to have labelled Hardworking and Law Abiding Funaabites as Yahoo Boys! This is Bad, Sad and uncalled for, ordinarily I would say it is a misplacement of Constitutional Obligation.
"Funaab is one of the most Peaceful School throughout the federation as we are devoid of Cultism, Drug Abuse and Anti-social activities rather we have proven our Academic and Intellectual prowess as the leading Agricultural Institution in Nigeria.
"Recently the men of the Nigerian Police broke into one of Our hostels like armed robbers, I wonder if those expected to protect us are now the ones to be feared! For how Long? I have attached the Pictures below for urgent Investigation.
"This bad Action and activities carried out by the Men of the Nigerian Police (SARS, SAKS, SACKS, IGPS) is not only barbaric but also appalling that despite the issuance by the Inspector General of Police that police officers has no RIGHT to check our Phone(s) on any of our roads except for instant security attention, rather, the men attached to this zone has proved stiff necked and adamant, rebellious to the highest directive of the force.
"It will interest me to tell you that the 2018 ranking of the United Nations that Nigerian Police is the worst in the world is made possible by these kind of men still perpetrating this evil and bad act amidst the society, thereby projecting the image of the Force badly in the outside World.
"It is pathetic and quite disheartening that the Nigeria Police has degenerated in its value and ethics.
"It should be noted that this disgraceful act that has befallen this institution is a disastrous event of great negative significance that needs to be addressed with immediate alacrity as it tends to pose a great danger to the security of our nation and serve as a clog in the wheel of the development of this institution.
"It is visibly seen that the administration of the Ogun State Commisoner of Police, Divisional Police Officer attached to Harmony Divisional Police Station, SARS, SAKS, SACS and IGPS, who are trying hard to restore the confidence that citizens should have in the police has been soiled by Police Officers who have involved themselves in many corruption scandals and has battered the already dying reputation of the institution.
"These Men of the Nigerian Police have proven this administration to be aiding and abetting corruption with their scrupulous acts to be of doubtful integrity and it would be unsafe for this present government whose major agenda is to fight corruption to keep such men of doubtful integrity to be in charge of the police affairs charged with the responsibility of helping the government in her fight against corruption.
"In view of this, I implore the Inspector General of Police, the Ogun State Government, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Lagos and Ogun(Zone2,onikan), the Ogun State Commisioner of Police, the Chief Security Officer of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, to stand up and call for the immediate investigation of the Men of the Nigeria Police Force that recently broke Into hostels at around 3am.
"One will wonder what kind of Professionalism are these Men doing by Coming to Unlawfully arrest Student firstly without any arrest permit/warrant and also In the middle of the night.
"We cannot be safe in this country if we have a corrupt Nigeria Police Force.
"If these and many more is left unattended to, I guess we won't have to blame the Student Populace if they go rogue, we all Know that When the Irrepressible minds of the Students is left to Germinate even the Special Force won't be able to Withstand the Reaction of Fabulous Funaabites!
Thanks.
"Ifemosu Michael Adewale is the founder Youth In Good Governance Initiative YIGGI, Secretary African Action Congress AAC Ogun State and a Proud Student of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta.
"Cc:
Ogun State Government.
Assistant Inspector General of Police(Zone 2, Onikan Lagos).
Ogun State Commissioner of Police.
Ogun State Director of State Security Service.
Media Houses.
All concerned Bodies."
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