NANS Petitions Ekiti Government, EFCC Over Alleged Arrest, Extortion of 18 FUOYE Students
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has petitioned the Ekiti State Government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other relevant authorities over the alleged illegal arrest, extortion, and unlawful treatment of 18 students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) by officials of the Ekiti State Ministry of Environment and the Ekiti State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation.
In a petition issued by the Office of the Head of Administration and signed on behalf of the national leadership, NANS described the incident as a serious violation of students’ rights and called for an immediate, transparent and independent investigation.
According to the association, the incident allegedly occurred on Saturday, July 25, 2026, when the students were travelling in an 18-passenger bus before they were intercepted by environmental health officials.
NANS stated that the students claimed they were subsequently taken before what they understood to be a magistrate court sitting within the Federal High Court premises in Ado-Ekiti, where each of them was allegedly directed to pay a ₦5,000 fine or face one month imprisonment.
The association further alleged that after the students informed the officials that they could not afford the payment, they were threatened with immediate imprisonment and compelled to transfer ₦5,000 each into an Opay account allegedly provided by one of the officials involved.
According to the petition, the account details allegedly used for the payment were in the name of Bamidele Rhoda Ademola, with Opay account number 9031575989.
NANS said the students further alleged that they were informed the same account had allegedly been used for similar collections from members of the public in the past.
The students’ body stressed that if the allegations are confirmed through investigation, they would amount to abuse of public office, extortion and actions capable of undermining public confidence in law enforcement and the justice system.
Among its demands, NANS called on the Ekiti State Government to launch an immediate and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest, prosecution and collection of money from the students.
The association also urged the EFCC to investigate the Opay account allegedly used in receiving the payments, including establishing its ownership, tracing the movement of funds and determining whether similar collections had been made from other members of the public.
It further demanded an investigation into the conduct of officials of the Ekiti State Ministry of Environment and the Ekiti State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation who allegedly participated in the incident.
NANS also requested clarification from the appropriate judicial authorities regarding the court proceedings the students were subjected to and whether all legal procedures were duly followed.
The association called for disciplinary and legal action against any official found culpable and demanded a full refund of all monies collected from the affected students if the payments are established to have been unlawful.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian students, NANS said it would continue to monitor the matter and pursue all lawful means to ensure accountability and justice.
The association also appealed to civil society organisations, the media, human rights groups and well-meaning Nigerians to support its demand for a transparent investigation.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ekiti State Government, the Ministry of Environment and the EFCC had not issued official responses to the allegations contained in the petition.
