Ile-Ife, Osun State –
Two students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Kelechi Ejike and Joshua Temitope Oladepo, were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) during a protest against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at a university event on Thursday.
The protest occurred during the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture, where Wike was the keynote speaker. The students raised placards and chanted demands for compensation for Abuja residents whose homes were allegedly demolished under Wike’s urban renewal policies.
“Minister Wike, we demand you compensate the people whose houses you demolished,” they were heard chanting in videos obtained by Reporters
The demonstration briefly disrupted the high-level event, which had other prominent guests including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.
DSS operatives swiftly moved in, forcefully removing the students from the venue and whisking them away to an undisclosed location.
The arrest has drawn condemnation from student unions and civil rights organizations, who labeled the incident an abuse of freedom of expression and peaceful protest.
Critics argue that while Wike’s policies aim to restore Abuja’s master plan, they have led to the displacement of thousands without adequate compensation, creating widespread discontent.
Wike, who served as Rivers State Governor from 2015 to 2023, was appointed FCT Minister by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023. His tenure has been marked by aggressive infrastructure development and mass demolitions in the capital.
There has been growing pressure from student bodies and rights groups calling for the immediate release of Ejike and Oladepo. The DSS has yet to issue an official statement regarding the arrests or the students’ current whereabouts.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions between government policies and civil liberties in Nigeria, especially regarding dissent and youth activism on university campuses.
More updates as the story develops.
