On November 1st, a distressing event unfolded at Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University, where over 60 students were allegedly abducted. The involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised concerns about the operation’s legality. Students were taken from their Oduduwa Estate residences at 4 a.m., prompting social media mobilization. Videos of the incident circulated, intensifying public outrage.
A thread: Everything we know about the EFCC arresting over 60 OAU students around 4 am. Read till the end ?#OAUTwitter #EFCC pic.twitter.com/YjSKTL0kTd
— inside OAU Innovations (IOI) (@InsideoauMedia) November 1, 2023
The EFCC’s role, along with allegations of seized valuables, has drawn condemnation from the OAU Student Union. Calls for transparency and accountability have emerged, demanding answers and the students’ well-being.
On Wednesday afternoon, the EFCC issued a press statement containing the names of these students, despite no proof of guilt. This action is seen as unjust, especially in an age where digital records can have lasting consequences, affecting their online reputation and future careers.
In response, OAU students have taken to social media platforms, including Twitter, urging the EFCC and other news agencies to remove the post.
At the time of writing, the EFCC has taken down their post containing false allegations and names of innocent students .
we are awaiting similar actions from other media outlets such as Punch NG , Channels and other news agencies. We understand that the initial intention for you may have been to inform the public, but we urge media outlets to consider the potential long-term impact of digital footprints and amend their posts to clarify that the arrested students were falsely alleged by the EFCC, not confirmed as fraudsters, for the sake of SEO and the students’ futures.
