The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ondo state government, demanding the release of detained student activists allegedly imprisoned through the office of the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Kayode Ajulo.
In a statement released by NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, the student body accused Ajulo of weaponising legal powers to silence student voices and called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene immediately.
NANS specifically demanded the unconditional release of Comrade Blessing Akeju and others allegedly held on politically motivated and trumped-up charges at the Olokuta Correctional Facility.
Reaffirming its commitment to defending student rights, NANS warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would trigger a nationwide mass action, starting with a protest tagged #OccupyOndoGovernmentHouse.
The statement reads, “The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), under the Presidency of Comrade Olushola Oladoja, express deep shock and strong condemnation over the recent oppressive actions by the Ondo State Attorney General, Barr. Kayode Ajulo, particularly in the arbitrary incarceration of Comrade Blessing Akeju and other young Nigerians who have now been unjustly remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Facility.
Barr. Kayode Ajulo, a man who has for years branded himself as a progressive legal practitioner, rights advocate, and voice of the voiceless, should never under any guise be found using state machinery for stiffening civil liberties or trampling on the rights of young people, activists, and comrades who have committed no crime other than speaking truth to power and expressing concerns over developments in the state.
“His background as a supposed defender of democratic principles and justice makes this action a descent into authoritarianism, not only hypocritical but utterly disgraceful. It is a shame that he is identified as a perpetrator of this dastardly act of oppression.
“Moreover, we find it disturbing that rather than uphold the rule of law and protect the liberties of citizens, the Attorney General is weaponizing his office to persecute voices of dissent and student leaders. This action is unacceptable, and condemnable, and is a dangerous trend that threatens civil liberties and freedom of expression in Ondo State and Nigeria at large.
The implications of this oppression are that when the Chief Law Officer of a state engages in actions that clearly undermine justice, it sends a dangerous signal to the public that the law is a tool for oppression, not justice.
“The continued detention of activists is a direct assault on the freedom of expression and assembly, both of which are constitutionally guaranteed.
“The silence of the Ondo State Government on this matter is complicit. We must not and will not allow this to stand.
“This is not a threat, but a declaration of intent, backed by the collective will of Nigerian students. We will not fold our arms while our comrades are persecuted for advocating better governance. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement read.
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